A human rights group, Concerned Nigerians for the protection of Human Rights and Rule Law initiative, has condemned the declaration by some Muslims that the convener of the group, Deji Adeyanju, is an ‘enemy of Islam’.
The group also condemned the ‘Fatwa’ (authoritative legal opinion given by a mufti or legal scholar) issued against Adeyanju and the circulation of his pictures on social media, with threats to harm him.
A statement by the group’s spokesperson, Theophilus Abu Agada, on Monday, condemned in “strong terms” the threats against Adeyanju over the group’s petition to American Embassy to investigate allegations of terrorism and extremist views against Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami.
Pantami has been under fire since the visual and audio clips of some of his teachings resurfaced over a decade later, some of which showed he was sympathetic to Islamic extremist sects like Al-Qaeda and Taliban.
According to the statement, the followers and supporters of the minister “have declared our convener, Deji Adeyanju an ‘Enemy of Islam’, an action capable of endangering his life”.
If anything happens to our convener, @adeyanjudeji, the minister of Communications, @DrIsaPantami should be held responsible.
For your kind attention: @PoliceNG @StateDept @USinNigeria @UKinNigeria @amnesty @FrontLineHRD pic.twitter.com/QL2M1kUNNY
— Concerned Nigerians (@ConcernedNIG) April 19, 2021
“They have taken to Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and other social media platforms to circulate the picture of our convener with a caption, ‘Enemy of Islam,’” the statement continued.
“We are horrified by their threats to harm our convener for no just cause. This action goes further to show how dangerous Isa Pantami and his followers are. We are not surprised by their actions as they are simply following the footsteps of their leader, Dr. Isa Pantami.
“We condemn, in the strongest terms, this extremist views and actions of his followers and supporters which are against all human and Islamic norms. The Noble Laws of Islam forbids all forms of attacks on the innocent.
“We enjoin all Muslims to be united against all those who terrorise the innocent, and those who permit the killing of non-combatants without a justifiable reason. It is worthy of note that Islam has declared the spilling of blood and the destruction of property as absolute prohibition until the Day of Judgment.
“Moreover, we are calling on Dr. Isa Pantami to call his followers he has indoctrinated with his extreme views to order.”
