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JNI Dismisses Reports Indicting It, Pantami In Death Of Ex Kaduna Gov., Yakowa

Published

4 years ago

Apr 23, 2021.

The goal is to smear and tarnish the image and the good name of the JNI and other Muslim organizations – JNI

The Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), top Islamic body, has described as “disheartening” and “disgusting” allegations linking it and Isa Pantami, minister of communications and digital economy, to the death of Patrick Yakowa, ex-governor of Kaduna state.

The JNI debunked the reports indicting its in the death of the former governor, adding that it never held a meeting regarding Yakowa when he was alive.

Ekohotblog had, citing an unverified document, reported how embattled minister allegedly chaired a JNI meeting where plans were hatched to assassinate Yakowa.

The document is being shared as a communique adopted at the zonal meeting held in Bauchi in 2010, two years before the former governor died in a helicopter crash in Bayelsa state alongside Owoye Azazi, former national security adviser (NSA).

The document came to public knowledge amid the furore generated by the minister’s past extremist views in support of terror groups which he has recanted.

In a statement signed by Khalid Aliyu, its secretary-general, JNI said the allegations were part of plan to besmirch its image and that of other Muslim organisations.

He said it would not have been possible for Yakowa to win 2011 election in a Muslim dominated Kaduna if he was despised by Muslims who allegedly plotted his death.

“The JNI under the leadership of His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni, the Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the JNI, was taken aback by the desperation of some disgruntled elements who in their desperate attempt to smear the image of the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy drag the name of the JNI as being part of an alleged plot to assassinate the late Governor Yakowa of Kaduna state,” the organisation said.

“To start with, how could Sheikh Pantami chair a JNI meeting while he was not one of its leaders either at the National or state levels? What could have necessitated the combination of Bauchi, Plateau, Niger and Kaduna states from different geo-political zones in the meeting? If Yakowa was vehemently hated by the Muslims and were desperately trying to ‘get rid’ of him. How did he win the 2011 elections in a Muslim dominated state of Kaduna where a Muslim-Muslim ticket recently sailed through? Who voted him in?”

According to the statement, the dissemination of the minutes of the meeting was aimed at manipulating average Nigerian.

“The so-called pieces of minutes shared by the media to further confuse and manipulate an average Nigerian’s mind into believing this orchestrated lie has further confirmed the desperation of the perpetrators. It is very perplexing and heart-rending that minutes of an assassination plot could be written and kept. How disheartening and disgusting!

“We thought the plot against Sheikh Pantami is politically motivated, but surprisingly it is assuming to be a more sinister dimension born out of a well thought-out scheme designed to smear and tarnish the image and the good name of the JNI and other Muslim organizations.

“Considering the various concerns raised by many citizens, vis’-a’- vis the attendant consequence of the scandalous allegation, we wish to place on record and for posterity that such never occurred and the JNI does not operate in such a dubious manner. We are at loss as to why is this allegation coming up just now, many years after the demise of Mr Yakowa? This should be seriously investigated.”

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