Date: 2019-07-01

An Islamic organisation in Kwara state, the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria (MMWGN) has called on the Kwara state government to investigate an alleged attack on a secondary school teacher in Ilorin on the basis of religion.

Speaking with journalists in Ilorin at the weekend, the National Coordinator of the group, Mallam Abdullahi Ibrahim, said that the attack smacks of fanaticism and intolerance and urged the state governments to intervene in the matter.

It is alleged that some Christian staff of the school in question had assaulted an Islamic teacher, who is also the imam of the school, Mallam Abdullahi Yakubu, while trying to prevent him from conducting an Islamic devotion during the school assembly.

"We received a call that an Islamic teacher of Bishop Smith Memorial College was beaten by a team of Christian teachers of the school in an attempt to discourage him from conducting Muslim devotion in the school assembly and we confirmed the message to be true," Ibrahim said.

The group appealed to Governor Abdulrazaq Abdulraham and the state Police Commissioner, Kayode Egbetokun not to allow any individual, organisation or school to hide under the guise of religion to cause public disturbance or perpetuate criminality.

"It is unfortunate that in spite of the existence of the committee on religious harmony in the state, all the effort to persuade some Christian extremists claiming ownership of schools have failed. The attempt to ignite religious crisis will however, fail as using religion to fan the embers of discord and disunity will fail by the power of God," he added.