Man who called for killing of Remi Tinubu apologises

A man, Sanusi Abubakar, who said Senator Remi Tinubu, the First Lady of Nigeria, should be killed has reached out to the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), retracted his words and apologized. Abubakar, who claimed to be an Islamic scholar, reached out to MURIC, withdrawing his wild, provocative and misguided call for the killing of the wife […]

A man, Sanusi Abubakar, who said Senator Remi Tinubu, the First Lady of Nigeria, should be killed has reached out to the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), retracted his words and apologized.

Abubakar, who claimed to be an Islamic scholar, reached out to MURIC, withdrawing his wild, provocative and misguided call for the killing of the wife of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Chairman of MURIC, Kano State chapter, Malam Hassan Sani Indabawa, in a statement on Tuesday, said that the MURIC headquarters condemned and disowned the man in its statement on Friday, the same day that he made the senseless call.

He said that in a two minutes, 24 seconds video clip sent to the Sokoto chapter of MURIC on Monday, February 26, 2024, Abubakar completely and entirely retracted his offensive statements which were capable of breeding mayhem, social combustion and religious unrest of unknown proportions.

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Commenting on the video clip, Malam Indabawa said, “The man apparently realised his egregious gaffe by reaching out to MURIC to register the withdrawal of his wild call by agreeing with MURIC that his teachings are misleading, his claims are false and his extremist views are capable of pushing some ignorant youths into unnecessary violence.

“The man further admitted that his claims were unIslamic and without any basis in Islam. He claimed to have been driven by political considerations and had made the wild statement during the 2023 presidential campaigns, thus exposing how some Nigerians are being influenced by desperate and unscrupulous politicians who sponsor misguided elements to propagate hate and divisive politics on the pulpit.”

Malam Indabawa, therefore, urged Muslim and Christian leaders in Nigeria to critically look into the involvement of some clerics in partisan politics by devising ways and means of regulating their sermons and preaching in order to avoid hate campaigns, but instead encourage them to promote understanding and peaceful coexistence.

Recall that Abubakar, also identified as Idris Tenshi, in a sermon, described the wife of the president as an “infidel” who should be killed.

Tenshi, who spoke in Hausa, reportedly said, “Tinubu’s wife is an unbeliever, and even among the unbelievers, she is a leader.

“She is among those that Allah has instructed us to kill because she is among the leaders of the unbelievers.”

His comments led to condemnation across the country from individuals and groups, including the Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN), which demanded his arrest and prosecution.

However, in a new video, Tenshi said, “I would like to pass this message to Nigerians regarding a video I did which is circulating on social media. All the things I said were a mistake and I don’t stand on the words I said. Other clerics have given me a proper explanation of the verse that I quoted.

“As a human being, I am prone to making mistakes. I am apologising to Her Excellency, Remi Tinubu, over the comments I made and taking back the words I said.

“I am also apologising to Nigerians because she (Remi) is like a mother to us. The season of politics is over. I made those comments during the time the campaigns were taking place.

‘Now that God has given Tinubu power, we have no other option than to support him and wish him and his family well. Whoever felt offended by the things I said; I am sorry.”