El-Rufai: NSCIA raises religious bias concerns over prosecution

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs has raised concerns over what it described as possible religious bias in the ongoing prosecution of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai. In a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, on Tuesday in Abuja, the council urged the Federal Government and the judiciary to prevent individuals with vested religious interests from allegedly using public institutions or the legal system to pursue a sectarian agenda against the former governor. The NSCIA said it had previously refrained from commenting on the prosecutions involving El-Rufai or any political figure. The council said its decision was based on its belief that the matter was a standard judicial process and that the judiciary had the capacity to uphold justice. However, it said recent developments in the public domain had raised concerns about the circumstances surrounding the former governor's prosecution. 'Recent developments in the public domain have raised serious concerns that strongly suggest an extraneous involvement of an underlying religious bias against the former Governor,' the council said. The NSCIA called on the Federal Government and the judiciary to ensure that public institutions and the legal system were not used to pursue sectarian interests. It also appealed to Nigerians to avoid inflammatory comments that could prejudice El-Rufai's fair trial or worsen the country's security situation. The council prayed for peace, stability and security in Nigeria. Never miss a moment! Get the stories shaping Nigeria, delivered straight to your phone. Follow Peoplesdaily Newspaper on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive reports, and the headlines everyone will be talking about, before anyone else.