After DSS Warning, Kokori Accuses JNI Scribe, Aliyu Of Stirring Up Religious Violence

• Urge Buhari, Tambuwal To Call Him To Order

Elder statesman, Chief Frank Kokori, has allegedly accused the Secretary General of Jama’atul Nasril Islam (JNI) Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, PhD, of stirring up religious violence in the country.

BIGPEN reports that Kokori spoke on the backdrop of warning by Nigeria’s secret police, the Department of State Services (DSS) that some Nigerians together with external forces are out to incite religious violence in the country.

The agency’s Public Relations Officer, Dr. Peter Afunanya, who issued the warning statement, disclosed that part of the plans is to cause inter-religious conflicts by using their foot soldiers to attack some worship centres, religious leaders, personalities, key and vulnerable points.

However, addressing newsmen on Tuesday, Kokori, who’s a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Delta State, specifically said that Dr. Aliyu was among those ignobly championing to cause inter-religious conflicts in the country.

Particularly, he said that Dr Aliyu was inciting Muslims against Christians under the guise of responding to the Christmas homily by Catholic Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah.

Kokori, a former general secretary of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) described, as treacherous, the deliberate misinterpretation and misrepresentation of Bishop Kukah’s Christmas homily by the JNI scribe.

According to him, having read the message of the Sokoto Bishop, he could not find any portion where the bishop disparaged Islam or Muslims, urging Buhari and Tambuwal to rein on Dr Aliyu not to cause a religious war in the country.

“Buhari and Tambuwal should call Dr Aliyu to order as he’s trying to cause a religious war in the country which is very dangerous.

“There was no portion where Bishop Kukah abused Islam or Muslims in his Christmas homily. Aliyu is an Islamic fundamentalist and should be treated as such.

“Aliyu should not drag Nigeria into his parochial ideology and if he’s worth his PhD degree, he should know that Bishop Kukah never attacked Islam or Muslims.

“Buhari and Tambuwal should rein on Aliyu not to create a religious war in the country. We’ve passed that stage. Religious war will bring the country to zero level.

“It’s treacherous for JNI to misinterpret Bishop Kukah’s obvious message. There’s nothing anti-Islam or anti-Muslim in what Kukah said. Aliyu should desist from religious bigotry,” the septuagenarian admonished.

The Delta-born former labour leader called on President Buhari and Governor Tambuwal to ensure Bishop Kukah’s security and safety is not compromised, adding that Dr Aliyu should be held responsible should Nigerians take up arms against themselves over religion.