By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
Members of the Order of Knights of St. Mulumba, St. Peter’s Sub-Council, Nsukka, on Friday rose in defense of Rev. Dr. Godfrey Onah, Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, following what they described as the “unfair victimisation” of the cleric by some Muslim leaders over a sermon he preached on October 18, 2020.
The group in a statement which was made available to TheNiche said it observed with dismay the efforts of the Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) to deliberately misrepresent the said sermon as the root cause of a clash between members of the local Hausa Community and Nsukka youths on October 31, 2020, at which two mosques were burnt.
On November 6, NSCIA petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Director-General, State Security Service (DSS) on the role allegedly played by Bishop Onah in the October 31 crisis, asking for the interrogation of the Bishop over his alleged hateful and inciting comments on the pulpit.
NSCIA, in the petition signed by Deputy Secretary General, Prof. Salisu Shehu, and copied to the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, NSCIA, Mohammad Saad Abubakar, alleged that Bishop Onah’s “hateful and inciting sermon” prompted some Christian bigots to unleash violent and virulent attack on Muslims in Nsukka and burnt their mosques.
“On behalf of the entire Nigerian Muslim Ummah, we hereby reiterate our call on you Sir, to rise up to this challenge and protect the lives and property of Muslims in the South-East and South-South as bonafide citizens of Nigeria who should live peacefully in any part of the country,” the statement read.
But Bishop Onah refuted the allegation on November 11, 2020, insisting that he has never been an agent of violence and cannot incite others to take laws into their hands.
The Bishop in a Holy Mass at the St. Theresa’s Catholic Cathedral, Nsukka, also called out on those accusing him of inciting youths in Nsukka to violence through his homilies to desist from the unfounded allegations.
While distancing himself from the allegation, the Bishop also said “Nigeria is so nervous now. Let everybody take bottles of oil of meekness, peace-making, love and oil their Christian lives and resist the excitement to violence because it does not help anybody.
“Parents should hold their children because some people are standing on the flanks to make Nsukka a violent place. Nsukka has been so peaceful that some people are no longer happy with it.”
Members of the Order of Knights of St. Mulumba agreed with the Bishop on Friday, when they insisted that the allegation against him was baseless and disingenuous.
The statement, signed by Professor Linus Ani, Grand Knight of St. Peter’s Sub-Council, said it was disingenuous to link the Bishop’s homily calling for justice and equity in Nigeria, with a spontaneous conflict between two groups of youths which occurred two weeks later.
“In their one-sided intervention and baseless twist of the Bishop’s sermon, they are not seeking to advance inter-religious and communal peace,” the statement said.
“The root of the violence and rioting of Nsukka youths was a purely commercial dispute between a young Hausa Muslim lady, named Aisha, and a Keke driver of Nsukka origin. Specifically, it was a dispute over the right fare to be paid the driver for his services,” the statement clarified.
Quoting eye witness accounts, the statement claimed that, “The driver had charged the sum of N750 for transporting Aisha and her wares, but the lady offered to pay N500 instead. At this point, Aisha’s father, popularly known as Baba, who had a butcher’s stall nearby, intervened by offering the keke driver the shortfall of his daughter’s fare.”
“But the money was quickly snatched away from him by his daughter, thus aborting that attempt at mediation. Aisha, the story goes, chose rather to invite her brothers by phone to the scene. Upon arrival, they proceeded to assault and batter the Keke driver, including stabbing him in the chest with a knife, leading to his being presumed to be dead.”
It was in a spontaneous reaction to this bloody scene that some youths in the area intervened in the dispute, beat up the attackers of the tricycle driver, and in the ensuing conflict, two mosques were burnt, the statement continued.
The knights strongly condemned all acts of violence and jungle justice leading to a breakdown of law and order. They called on law enforcement authorities to ensure that those involved on all sides of the clash were made to face the wrath of the law.
They commended the Governor of Enugu State, Chief Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, for taking over the rebuilding of the mosques and the compensation of victims, saying that his was an act of magnanimity in search of peace.
They however cautioned that in the search for peace, justice must first be done by arresting and prosecuting all those involved in the violent incident to serve as deterrent.
“To do otherwise will be aiding and abetting inequality, injustice and insecurity in Nigeria,” the statement said.
“It is precisely against inequality, injustice and insecurity in Nigeria that Bishop Onah spoke in his homily. He surely was not inciting anyone to violence, but rather condemning the sources of injustice and bad governance, namely partiality in its various guises. His sermon was thus within the scope of his office and responsibility as priest and pastor of his people. Speaking truth to power and calling for justice without fear or favour are a part of the prophetic role of Catholic priests,” the statement added.
It therefore called on all religious and community leaders throughout the country to always refrain from taking sides in conflicts involving their followers, but rather strive to be fair, dispassionate and balanced in the interest of lasting peace and harmony.