Nigerian Muslims under the leadership of Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), chaired by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Muhammad Abubakar III, has called on Boko Haram insurgents to accept the dialogue opportunity being offered by the Nigerian government.
JNI advocated compulsory religious education, especially at the primary and secondary school levels, as a way of promoting sound knowledge and moral and character training among the youth. It similarly objected to the mixed-gender housing in the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) scheme orientation camp, as well as some of the physical training in the programme that goes contrary to Islam.
It also condemned the government’s insensitivity to security issues in the country, and failure to prosecute people responsible for violence and killing Muslims. As a result of the government’s attitude, JNI said, violent aggression against Muslims and displacement of their communities has continued in Borno, Taraba and Plateau states.
JNI also objected to the government and the media which label Muslims as terrorists or ascribe terrorism to Islam saying that when similar acts are committed by people of other faiths, the same label is not ascribed to their religions.