The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has urged Nigerians to refrain from making incendiary comments capable of prejudicing the fair trial of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasiru El-Rufai.
The NSCIA Secretary-General, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, made the call in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday.
Oloyede said the council had consistently refrained from commenting on the controversy surrounding the ongoing prosecution of El-Rufai or any other political figure.
He explained that the council’s restraint was based on its previous position that the prosecution constituted a standard judicial process, while trusting the Judiciary’s inherent capacity to uphold justice.
He, however, said recent developments in the public domain had raised serious concerns that appeared to suggest the involvement of an extraneous religious bias against the former governor.
According to him, the developments have compelled the council to call for greater vigilance to ensure that the ongoing judicial process is conducted fairly and without sectarian considerations.
The NSCIA scribe called on the Federal Government and the Judiciary to ensure that individuals with vested religious interests are prevented from weaponising public institutions or the legal system to pursue what it described as a sectarian agenda against El-Rufai.
He also appealed to members of the public to avoid inflammatory statements or actions capable of prejudicing El-Rufai’s fair trial, stressing that such comments could further heighten tensions and exacerbate the security situation in the country.
Oloyede prayed for the intervention of Almighty Allah in granting Nigeria peace, stability and security.
