•Tight security in Kaduna, Kano, Borno, Yobe
Soldiers opened fire in Jos yesterday to disperse youths who had gathered to protest a film critical of the Prophet Muhammed.
Protesters in Sokoto, the Islamic spiritual headquarters in Nigeria, burnt a US flag, but Kano, Kaduna, Maiduguri and Damaturu, which have been flash points of religious violence in the country, were generally calm.
The short-lived demonstrations in Jos, where hundreds have been killed in religious and ethnic violence, began after the jumat prayers.
The youths, some wearing white shirts that read “To Hell With America, To Hell With Israel,” chanted slogans and called for the arrest of the makers of the film that has sparked protests across the Middle East and North Africa.
Satisfied that they had a sufficient number to commence a protest, the youths approached a police officer to inform him that they were ready for a peaceful rally around the Central Mosque. They promised to make it peaceful.
They were still discussing when a patrol van filled with Special Task Force (STF) soldiers arrived the scene.
The soldiers quickly disembarked and asked the youths to disperse.
The protesters were apparently too slow in leaving the scene or angry at the soldiers’ position and within seconds gunshots rang out. So ended the protest.
There were no reports of injury to anyone on account of the gunshots or the melee.
Many residents kept indoors following rumour of a likely protest after the jumat while those who went to work had to return home by 1 pm when the jumat would have been over.
Motorists also avoided roads leading to or out of Masalanchin Juma’at and other worship centres as well as Muslim-dominated areas, causing massive traffic jam.
Spokesman for the STF, Captain Salisu Mustapha, said: “Even as I am talking to you now, I am among the troops surveying Zololo area and Bauchi Road. Our men are fully on ground and we are on top of the situation.
“We have since restored peace and we will not fold our arms to allow any protester sabotage all the peace we have laboured to build so far.
“The survellance will continue in the city even after today.”
It was a different situation in Sokoto where protesters burnt a US flag.
“Time has come when the world should respect Islam as religion, because Muslims respect other people’s religion,” protester Abubakar Ahmed Rijia said.
Another protester, Nai’u Muhammed, said he believed people were deliberately trying to instigate Muslims into violence through criticising the Prophet Muhammad.
“Islam is a religion of peace, but we cannot tolerate somebody abusing it,” Muhammed said.
In Maiduguri, the spiritual home of the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, the streets were generally quiet yesterday.
Abubakar Mustapha, an imam, asked Muslims to be restrained in their actions, no matter how angry they may feel over the film.
“How can we earn the respect of others when we as Muslims kill ourselves, when we do things that smear the name of our religion?” Mustapha asked while preaching yesterday.
“We have to go back to the basic and hold firm unto our religion with love and true devotion so that others will respect our religion and our prophet.”
Security remained tight across the city before, during and after the prayers with the Joint Task Force (JTF) saying it has “taken pro-active security measures, increased surveillance and 24-hour patrol in and around Maiduguri.”
Kano was peaceful with residents moving about their businesses. Security was also tight. Armoured vehicles were deployed in the streets.
Chief Chris Osuji, President-General of the Imo Community Association in Kano, was happy at the development.
“It is indeed a welcome development and a different scenario from the experience we used to have before in Kano. God has really intervened and we are now living in peace and harmony with our Muslim brothers,” he said.
The state Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Idris, said the police and religious leaders were liaising to ensure continued peace.
“I want to tell you that there is no cause for alarm. One of our major strategies is to adopt preventive measures, and that is what we are using to control the situation. We are meeting with leaders of all the Islamic sects and they have assured us of their full cooperation to ensure that peace continues to reign in the state.
Kaduna was similarly calm despite the circulation, the previous day, of a text message by some Muslim groups calling for protest.
The foremost Islamic group in the North, Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), appealled for caution, saying Nigeria could not afford any form of unrest at this point in time.
In a statement in Kaduna, Secretary General of the organisation, Dr. Khalid Aliyu Abubakar said: ”Jama’atu Nasril Islam, under the leadership of His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni, Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, JNI, expressed its shock and consternation on the film released on You-tube, aimed at belittling our noble Prophet (peace be upon him) in a derogatory manner and smearing his dignity.
“It is disrespectful to Muslims, intended to cause their anger, and therefore unacceptable not only to Muslims but to all right thinking people. It is, however, condemned in the strongest terms.
“However, Muslims are enjoined to pertinently persevere for the sake of the Almighty Allah, the way our revered Prophet used to whenever his personality was attacked by his foes.
“He was called all sorts of derogatory names and persecuted, but he never revenged and forwarded his complaint to Allah the Almighty for relief.
“It is rather unfortunate at this time when all efforts should be geared towards peace and calm, some elements want to create tension by insinuating that non-Muslim interest will be attacked.
“We cannot afford any upheaval in this trying moment of insecurity our country is passing through.
Therefore, all Muslims are called for restraint and perseverance.
May Allah the Exalted console all.”
Civil Rights activist, Mallam Shehu Sani, described the movie as an unprovoked attack against Muslims and the peace loving people of the world.
“The producers and actors of such a movie are anarchists and men of evil attempting to incinerate the world.
”The movie threatens world peace and stability. This movie and the culture of inciting attack on Muslims and Islam as prevalent in some western countries must be halted by all means in the interest of peace and mutual respect,” he said.
He said while Muslims have the right to object and peacefully protest, ”retaliatory attacks against innocent persons or institutions are detrimental and unacceptable. There is no justification for any violence against Americans or any westerner resulting from this.”
