On Monday the 4th of June 2018, Ishaq Oloyede the Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, condemned the heated speech by the Christian Association of Nigeria that there might just be religious war in the country peradventure the abducted girl by name Leah Sharibu was not rescued from Boko Haram captivity.
Ishaq Oloyede commented on the speech at the first annual Ramadan lecture of The Point newspaper held at the headquarters of Lagos Television (LTV), Ikeja, Lagos.
Miss Leah Sharibu was among the 112 schoolgirls that were abducted by Boko Haram from a school with the name Girls Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State, on February 19. Her colleagues were released, but she remained in custody of the terrorist group, and reason being that she declined to denounce Christianity. Ishaq Oloyede, who was the guest speaker at the event, pointed out that the threat of war by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) over the Leah Sharibu issue was uncalled for and could incite violence along religious divide.The registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculations Board (JAMB), who said he spoke as a student of Islamic affairs at the occasion, said that CAN escalated the issue by its reference to war.
Mr Ishaq Oloyede, a professor, reasoned that he was as astonished as the Sultan of Sokoto that the religious group could threaten war over a matter christians and muslims are concerned about. The Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs pointed out that Boko Haram wants war and has without fail never hidden its intention to throw the nation into a calamitous state. The call by CAN, he said, is akin to playing into the hands of the terrorist group.
Whose interests was the call serving?
he said, wondering whether it was fair to endanger the girl’s life.