Borno state Governor, Kashim Shettima has explained why Islamic clerics cannot condemn the activities of boko haram terrorists.
According to DAILY INDEPENDENT, Shettima said that notable Islamic scholars with the capacity to fight the ideology through preaching have maintained silence because they were afraid of being killed like many of their colleagues who were without security details to protect them from the sect.
The governor said, ”Changing the ideology of the Boko Haram will require intellectual roles by leading Islamic scholars with mass appeal. It is most disturbing to note that today in northern Nigeria, there is no single Islamic scholar that preaches against the Boko Haram ideology and the reason is because everyone is afraid.
”Leading scholars like Sheikh Jaafar Mahmud Adam and Sheikh Albani Zaria who vehemently preached against the ideology have been killed. In Maiduguri, scholars like Sheikh Ibrahim Gomari, Malam Bashir Gomari and over 30 different scholars who were opposed to the Boko Haram ideology have all been killed.
”Today, the only group in the north that can speak against the sect are holders of public offices who have security men surrounding them. It is hugely important for us to identify Islamic scholars with the intellectual depth and mass followers to change the Boko Haram narrative so that we can save young souls from listening to the sect.
”We must support these scholars and provide them with maximum security for not only them but their families as much as public office holders are adequately protected”.
