CAN, NSCIA dismiss document linking Pantami to Gov Yakowa death

23 Apr CAN, NSCIA dismiss document linking Pantami to Gov Yakowa death

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), and the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) have rejected the document allegedly linking communications minister Isa Pantami to the death of former Kaduna State Governor Patrick Yakowa.

In a statement, the chairman of CAN, Kaduna State Chapter, John Hayab, who was Mr Yakowa’s former special adviser on religious affairs, said “as someone very close to the late Yakowa, I call on all Nigerians to ignore the insinuations linking Pantami with Sir Yakowa’s death, endangering national peace.

“This, I call on security agencies to step in and tame the circulation of such dangerous documents. We cannot afford to stoke fire when we should be pouring more water.”

“Sensitive documents like the ones purported to be from the JNI meeting in Bauchi should be subjected to thorough security investigation and trials, not tools for social media warfare,” Mr Hayab said.

Those circulating the document said it is the minutes of a July 2010 meeting of Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) where the group, among other things, allegedly plotted to “eliminate” Mr Yakowa.

The report, which had been online since August 2010, quickly went viral when it was redistributed Wednesday. The document claimed the said meeting was chaired by Mr Pantami.

Mr Yakowa died December 2012 in a helicopter crash alongside former National Security Adviser Owoye Azazi while returning from a funeral in Bayelsa State en route Port Harcourt.

But Mr Hayab said his group believed the ‘communique’ could have been doctored.

Similarly, the NSCIA dismissed the document, saying it was concocted.

The deputy secretary-general of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Salisu Shehu, said the document was concocted as “we do not call our religious scholars clergies.”

NSCIA is the umbrella body of Muslims in Nigeria, including JNI, one of the foremost Islamic bodies in Northern Nigeria.

He noted that Mr Pantami was not a member of JNI, so he could not have chaired the group’s meeting.

Earlier on Thursday, the Secretary General of the NSCIA, Ishaq Oloyede, had responded to the document by saying, “The so-called communique is fake, concocted by bigots who are desperate to pull the man (Mr Pantami) down.

“It should be disregarded because the intention of those who fabricated it is to portray Islam in bad light and cause division between Muslims and Christians in the country.