Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi Foundation issued a warning that it will sue the immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, for all injustices that have been inflicted on schools, students, pupils, educational institutions, and the highly respected Islamic scholar, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi.
LEADERSHIP reminds us that the Foundation had previously asserted that El-Rufai led security officials to the residence of Sheikh Dahiru in Kaduna, where hundreds of students were forcibly taken from their home at night by using fire crackers. The Foundation accused him of attempting to interfere with learning and memorization of the Holy Qur’an, calling him a man who has openly demonstrated hostility towards Qur’anic students (Almajirai). The foundation in a press release issued to journalists in Bauchi yesterday signed by it’s director-general on education and school services, Sayyadi Aliyu Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, condemned the actions carried out under El-Rufai’s administration.
The organization also presented an ultimatum where they requested El-Rufai apologize in public before the close of this Ramadan month, and warning him that doing otherwise will trigger legal steps being taken, including officially filing complains with the government of Nigeria, and to international human rights agencies.
The statement continues in part, “At the directive of El-Rufai, security agencies carried out brutal night raids on our Tsangaya schools, raided the home of the venerated scholar Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, and forcibly removed Qur’anic students from their hostels under false claims.”.
“Students and officials were brutalized, and a number of children are still missing to this day. Even relatives of Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi were attacked physically in his own residence an absolute act of intimidation against one of Nigeria’s most revered Islamic scholars.”
Sayyadi labeled these events as part of an intentional attempt to humiliate Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi and destabilize his life-long commitment to education and conflict resolution.
“Despite these provokes, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi chose peace over revenge, preventing a crisis that would have destabilized the nation,” he added.
Sayyadi also cautioned political parties against accepting El-Rufai into their parties, noting that those who offer themselves as being committed to justice must also embrace the past deeds of the people they identify with.
“El-Rufai is not a victim but an oppressor. Any political party or group that identifies with him must be very well aware of the harm he has done to innocent lives.”.
The Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi Foundation will never let these injustices go unaddressed. We will not be deterred from our mission to defend religious institutions, call for justice, and make sure that no leader ever again employs state power to repress peaceful students and scholars,” he said
