MUSWEN dismisses Afenifere’s secession threat, urges Yoruba not to be misled

The Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria has dissociated itself from the threat by Afenifere to lead Yoruba in the South West Zone to secede from Nigeria.

In a statement issued on Monday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, by MUSWEN’s Executive Secretary, Prof. Dawud Noibi, the group condemned the threat and warned Afenifere to stop arrogating to itself the position of the spokesperson of the Yoruba.

MUSWEN said failure to dissociate itself from the threat and caution Afenifere may give the wrong impression that majority of Yoruba in the region endorsed its claims and proclamations.

The group advised Afenifere to stop arrogating to itself the undeserved right to speak for Yoruba people.

Noibi said in the statement: “The fact that Chief Olu Falae, former Secretary to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, was abducted by a group of criminals is in indeed a disgrace to the whole nation.

“Scores of other people, high and low, have been kidnapped by hoodlums and criminals who released them only after payment of ransoms.

“A number of victims of abduction are still being search for and none of those previous crimes of abduction have been described as an attempt at ethnic cleansing or ascribed to any particular ethnic group as a whole.”

The statement appealed to Muslims as well as other peace-loving elements in Yorubaland not to allow themselves to be misled by the proclamations of Afenifere.

MUSWEN said the consequences of the declaration by Afenifere to remove the South West from Nigeria would affect the masses more than it may affect the perpetrators.

It said: “We urge the Federal Government and security agencies to do their best in ensuring the safety and security of citizens and in preventing further occurrence of the various type of violent crimes that are now common in the country.

“We appeal to the leaders of Afenifere group to endeavour to overcome their tendency to place selfish and partisan ethno-political interests above patriotism and national unity.

“We salute the patriotism of the Yoruba people and their very sincere and strong faith in the unity and indivisibility of Nigeria.”

NAN.