Call For Release Of Kogi Varsity Lecturer Arrested In Connection With Boko Haram

The Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Sa’ad III yesterday called for the immediate release of a lecturer with the Kogi State University, Dr. Muhammad Nazeef Yunus, who was arrested by officials of the State Security Service (SSS) on allegations that he was the recruitment officer for radical Islamic sect, Boko Haram. The SSS had arrested the Assistant Lecturer in Arabic and Islamic Studies alongside four others, parading them as suspected members of Boko Haram, alleging that they were planning to unleash terror on the people of Kogi State, particularly Igala land, where Mr. Yunus hails from. But JNI insisted that Mr. Yunus did not belong to the deadly sect and cautioned security agencies against indiscriminate arrests of innocent people. Secretary-General of JNI, Khalid Aliyu Abubakar, who made this known in a statement said: “Arresting innocent people and subjecting them to humiliation and physiological torture would instil doubts in the minds of Nigerians, especially Muslims, regarding the sincerity of our security personnel in their fight against extremism. “Security officials should conduct their statutory assignments professionally and be careful in handling issues related to Boko Haram. “It came to us as a shock that Dr. Muhammad Nazeef Yunus, the director of Al-Bayan School Jos, Plateau State and a lecturer of Islamic Studies with Kogi State University, was arrested in connection with Boko Haram activities. “On October 29, SSS operatives raided Nazeef’s house and took him away, and since then his whereabouts was not known until 22 days later when he was paraded. “The SSS accussed him of being ‘the spiritual leader and recruitment coordinator of a terrorist cell in Kogi State’. “Dr. Nazeef has denied the allegation in the strongest term, asserting his position as a strong opponent of both the ideology and methodology of Boko Haram. Those who know him have affirmed that he is peace-loving, gentle and kind and a strong antagonist of Boko Haram. “His friends and colleagues have testified that they have been engaged in several efforts to halt the Boko Haram ideology. Above all, his PhD thesis is a reference point to that effect. “Those who have been following trends know very well that even ordinary members of Boko Haram hardly deny their connection to the ideology. “It will, therefore, be doubtful that a ‘spiritual leader and recruitment officer’ of the group would shed tears publicly while denying any link to that ideology. “It would sound contradictory that a leader of Boko Haram would still maintain his position as a university lecturer while the first requisite for one to be a member of Boko Haram is to abandon anything connected with Western education. “JNI calls on all Muslims to always be law-abiding, shun all dissident activities and continue praying for peace and security in Nigeria