Court of Appeal: NSCIA Accuses Christian Leaders Of Hating Muslims

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has condemned the comments by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on the list of 20 Justices-designate by the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC).

Salisu Shehu, Deputy Secretary-General, in a statement on Tuesday, said the Christian leadership in Nigeria had proven its “morbid hatred for Islam and Muslims” over the years.

Shehu noted that CAN has continued to display its capacity for destructive mischief, dexterous use of scurrilous propaganda and predilection for being economical with the truth as part of the sinister strategy of heating up the polity anytime a Muslim is at the helm of affairs.

NSCIA said it would not allow the “serial falsehood of CAN and its propensity for character assassination of people” based on their religious identity to stand.

The Muslim leaders regretted that CAN joined government critics to claim that 13 of the 20 recently shortlisted Justices are from the North and are Muslims.

Shehu said though the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, explained that the procedure followed due process and was done without preference for tribe or association, mischief-makers, ethnic jingoists and religious bigots resorted to blackmail.

NSCIA pointed out that the Justices of the Court of Appeal (JCAs) are 70. In a breakdown, the body said the North with 19 states has 34, while the South with 17 states has 36.

“The South thus has more JCAs than the North. Out of the 36 JCAs from the South West (where Muslims are a majority), South East and South-South ( both of which Muslims have considerable indigenous populations), all the JCAs are Christians except for Justice Habeeb Adewale Abiru of Lagos State and Justice Mistura Bolaji-Yusuf of Oyo State.

“But in the three geo-political zones of the North where Muslims are predominant, there are 34 JCAs out of which 15 are Christians. In other words, the North East has 4 Muslim JCAs and 7 Christians, the North Central has 6 Muslim JCAs and 7 Christians while the North West has 9 Muslim JCAs and 1 Christian JCA. Of the 36 from the South, only 2 are Muslims.”

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NSCIA gave names and details of the Justices as follows: 1. Joseph S. Ikyegh Benue North Central Christian; 2. Patricia A. Mahmoud Benue North Central Christian; 3. Stephen Jonah Adah Kogi North Central Christian; 4. S. T. Hussaini Kogi North Central Muslim; 5. Ahmad O. Belgore Kwara North Central Muslim; 6. M. N. Oniyangi Kwara North Central Muslim; 7. F. A. Ojo Kwara North Central Christian; 8. Ridwan M. Abdullahi Nasarawa North Central Muslim; 9. J. Abungada Nasarawa North Central Christian; 10. Amina Wambai Niger North Central Muslim; 11. M. B. Idris Niger North Central Muslim; 12. PCA Monica Dongban- Mensem Plateau North Central Christian; 13. Jummai H. Sankey North Central Christian./ Total North Central: 7 Christians, 6 Muslims.

Others: 14. A. M. Talba Adamawa North East Muslim; 15. Hussein Mukhtar Bauchi North East Muslim; 16. Haruna S.Tsammani Bauchi North East Christian; 17. Bitrus G.Sanga Bauchi North East Christian; 18. A. G. Mshelia Borno North East Christian; 19. Ibrahim S. Bdliya Borno North East Christian; 20. Hamma Barka Gombe North East Christian; 21. Y. B. Nimpar Gombe North East Christian; 22. Mohammed Danjuma Taraba North East Christian; 23. I. A. Andenyangtso Taraba North East Christian; 24 Mohammed Mustapha Borno North East Muslim./ Total North East: 8 Christians, 3 Muslims.

Others: 25. Ali Abubakar Gumel Jigawa North West Muslim; 26. Muhammed L. Shuaibu Jigawa North West Muslim; 27. Abubakar Dati Yahaya Kaduna North West Muslim; 28. James S. Abiriyi Kaduna North West Christian; 29. T. Y. Hassan Kano North West Muslim; 30. A. M. Bayero Kano North West Muslim; 31. Abubakar Sadiq Umar Kebbi North West Muslim; 32. Jamilu Y. Tukur Katsina North West Muslim; 33. A. M. Lamido Sokoto North West Muslim; 34. B. B. Aliyu Zamfara North West Muslim. / Total North West: 1 Christian, 9 Muslims. / Subtotal (Northern States): 16 Christians, 18 Muslims.

Others: 35. Raphael C. Agbo Enugu South East Christian; 36. U.I Ndukwe- Anyanwu Anambra South East Christian; 37. Chidi N. Uwa Abia South East Christian; 38. C. E. Nwosu-Iheme Imo South East Christian; 39. T.N Orji-Abadua Imo South East Christian; 40. Obande F. Ogbuinya Ebonyi South East Christian; 41. Uchechukwu Onyemanam Ebonyi South East Christian; 42. Onyekachi A. Otisi Abia South East Christian; 43. C.I. Jombo-Ofo Abia South East Christian; 44. Paul O. Elechi Ebonyi South East Christian; 45. Ugochukwu A. Ogakwu Enugu South East Christian./ Total South East: 11 Christians, 0 Muslim.

Others: 46. Ignatius I. Agube Cross River South-South Christian; 47. Rita N. Pemi Delta South-South Christian; 48. Ita George Mbaba Akwa Ibom South-South Christian; 49. Moore A. A. Adumein Bayelsa South-South Christian; 50 O. O. Daniel-Kalio Rivers South-South Christian; 51. Fatima O. Akinbami Edo South-South Christian; 52. Biobele A. George will Rivers South-South Christian; 53. Frederick O. Oho Delta South-South Christian; 54. Joseph E. Ekanem Akwa Ibom South-South Christian; 55. Abimbola O. Obaseki-Adejumo Edo South-South Christian 56 Boloukuromo M. Ugo Bayelsa South-South Christian; 57. Ebiowei Tobi Delta South South Christian./ Total South-South: 12 Christians, 0 Muslim.

Others: 58. Jimi O. Bada Osun South West Christian; 59. Oyebisi F. Omoleye Ekiti South West Christian; 60 Mojeed A. Owoade Oyo South West Christian; 61. A. O. Lokolo-Sodipe Ogun South West Christian; 62. Isaiah O. Akeju Ekiti South West Christian; 63. Tunde O. Awotoye Osun South West Christian; 64. Habeeb A. O. Abiru Lagos South West Muslim; 65. Peter O. Ige Oyo South West Christian; 66. O. A. Adefope- Okojie Ogun South West Christian; 67 Mistura O. Bolaji- Oyo South West Muslim Yusuf; 68. E. O. Williams – Dawudu Lagos South West Christian; 69. Joseph O. Oyewole Osun South West Christian; 70. Gabriel O. Kolawole Osun South West Christian./ Total South West: 11 Christians, 2 Muslims.

Subtotal (Southern States): 34 Christians, 2 Muslims Subtotal (the Northern States plus FCT): 16 Christians, 18 Muslims Grand Total of all JCAs: 50 Christians (71.4%), 20 Muslims (28.6%)

NSCIA added that CAN’s claim of marginalisation is a blatant lie, a deliberate distortion and a devilish strategy of shedding crocodile tears while flogging Muslims with bare-faced oppression and systemic repression in Nigeria.

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