Statement That Sacked Abuja Chief Imam, Sheikh Khalid

       Skeikh Khalid 
                                    

Chief Imam of Apo Legislative Quarters Mosque Abuja, Sheikh Nuru Khalid was last week suspended over his statement on President Muhammadu Buhari’s failure to tackle insecurity in the country. 

The mosque’s steering committee issued the suspension on Saturday following Khalid's condemnation of last Monday attack on Abuja-Kaduna train, where over eight persons died.

In his Friday sermon, the chief Imam had castigated Buhari for his refusal to visit Kaduna State over the terrorist attack, adding that mere condemnation wasn’t enough.

He lamented that Buhari was in Kaduna for campaigns but failed to visit the state after the bomb attack on the passenger train.

The outburst was not the first or second time the Islamic cleric would be criticising the President over poor handling of security crisis in the country. 

In a viral video in 2021, Khalid vowed that God would torment Buhari if he failed to return Nigeria united and without banditry. 

The cleric, who spoke in Hausa said, “Go and tell the President that under his government, some groups of people are issuing threats to local communities, demanding that they should be paid some amounts of money or face attack."

“And they will gather the money and announce publicly on the BBC that they (bandits) would be paid this Friday [to avoid attack]."

“Tell the president that there is a country we pay allegiance to, and there is a part of the country we do not know, which is governed by bandits."

“The president should either return the country as one nation where bandits are not killing people anyhow — just the way he took over, or Allah (God) will deal with him.

“This is the message. I’m saying this in an open forum, and it is live-streamed for the world to see. I take responsibility for my words, and I’m ready to face whatever consequences for preaching peace and unity in Nigeria."

“Mr President, we don’t want to hear the reports of the killing of people under your watch. We don’t want to hear reports of cowardice among our soldiers, such that they are attacked at their base."

“We have a video in which you said Nigerian soldiers had the patriotism, training, and discipline to tackle all manner of criminality in the country. You said if you were elected, you would give them the required support to tackle insurgency in a short time."

“Your Excellency, a promise made is a promise kept. If you lack the advisers to remind you of this, we are ready to tell you. We are praying to God to help you fulfil this promise if really you are willing", he concluded. 

Additional Report from SaharaReporters