* Condemns lynching of islamic teacher in Kaduna, says jungle justice has no place in Islam
The National Headquarters of The Muslim Congress (TMC) has commended the rescue of the teachers and schoolchildren abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, describing their return as a major relief for the nation.
The organisation also urged the Federal Government to ensure the swift prosecution of all those behind the kidnapping and acts of terrorism, insisting that everyone involved, including financiers and collaborators, must face the full weight of the law to serve as a deterrent to others.
The position was contained in the 31st edition of TMC’s State of the Nation Address, presented on Saturday by the Secretary General of the organisation, Alhaji Taiwo Hassan Adesina, on behalf of the Amir of TMC and Chairman of the Committee on Social Mobility, the Economy and Politics, Alhaji Abdul Wasi’i Bangbala, at the organisation’s national headquarters in Lagos.
Reading the statement, Alhaji Adesina lauded the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Oyo State Government and security agencies for their coordinated efforts in securing the release of the victims, describing the development as a significant boost to public confidence in the country’s security architecture.
The organisation, however, stressed that the focus must now shift from rescue operations to ensuring justice.
It called for the suspected kidnappers already in custody to be prosecuted through an expedited and transparent judicial process, maintaining that true deterrence lies in ensuring that terrorists, kidnappers and their sponsors are held accountable for their crimes.
“The recent heinous abductions and killings of senior army generals serve as stark reminders that no one is immune. However, amidst these challenges, the nation draws immense relief and joy from the heartwarming news of the rescue of the pupils and teachers who were victims of the traumatic mass kidnapping in Oyo State,” the statement read.
“We applaud the Federal Government, the Oyo State Government and our brave security forces whose swift coordination ensured these innocent citizens were brought home safely. Now, the momentum must shift toward unyielding justice.”
TMC also commended the Central Bank of Nigeria for freezing accounts allegedly linked to terrorist financing, describing the move as a commendable step towards disrupting criminal networks.
The Secretary General urged the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) to strengthen collaboration among the Department of State Services (DSS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, the National Intelligence Agency and the Defence Intelligence Agency to ensure that investigations and arrests culminate in successful prosecutions capable of permanently dismantling terrorist networks across the country.
TMC condemns killing of Islamic teacher, Ummulkhairi Aliyu
The organisation also addressed other national issues during the press conference attended by its national executive members and state representatives, including the growing drug abuse crisis, recurring xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa and the killing of an Islamic teacher in Kaduna, Ummulkhairi Aliyu.
Alhaji Adesina condemned the killing of Ummulkhairi Aliyu, who was lynched after being falsely accused of child kidnapping, describing the incident as barbaric, unlawful and contrary to both Islamic teachings and the rule of law.
“The barbaric and alarming rise of jungle justice across the country, exemplified by the gruesome and tragic killing of Ummulkhairi Aliyu in Kaduna, is strongly condemned,” the organisation said.
It described the mob attack as “a blatant violation of Islamic tenets, which strictly prohibit lawlessness and the taking of innocent lives,” adding that the incident represented “a complete collapse of societal values and the rule of law.”
The Secretary-General further noted that Ummulkhairi “was not a criminal” but “a devoted Islamic teacher and mother of five who left home to attend an Islamic lecture, only to be falsely accused of child kidnapping and brutally lynched despite being identified as innocent by family members and community leaders.”
TMC also expressed concern over reports alleging that police officers failed to protect the victim and that she was allegedly handed over to the mob by the Divisional Police Officer.
While acknowledging the ongoing investigation and the arrest of some suspects, the organisation demanded a thorough and transparent process to ensure that everyone found culpable, including any security personnel if the allegations against them are substantiated, faces the full weight of the law.
“We demand that the process be thorough and transparent, ensuring that every individual culpable, including any security agents found complicit, faces the full wrath of the law,” the organisation stated.
It also urged the government to strengthen the justice system to prevent future incidents of mob violence.
“The government must decisively confront the broader crisis of civil disorder by reinforcing the justice system and restoring public confidence in state institutions, for no society can survive under the whims of mob rule,” the statement added.
“The blood of Ummulkhairi and others of similar fate cry out for justice, and silence in the face of such barbarity only encourages its repetition,” TMC said.
Employment, education key to ending insecurity: Imam Ariremako
Speaking with journalists after the address, TMC Naibul Amir, Cultural Affairs (NACA), Imam Abdul Aziz Ariremako, said lasting peace could only be achieved if the government complemented security operations with socioeconomic interventions.
According to him, creating employment opportunities for young people would significantly reduce their vulnerability to recruitment into terrorist and kidnapping networks.
“One of the ways through which insecurity can be reduced or eradicated in our society is for the government to provide job opportunities for the youth. Some of these people are not gainfully employed. When young people are empowered and employed, they will not easily be recruited into terrorism, kidnapping or other crimes,” he said.
Imam Ariremako also identified education as another critical solution, noting that educated citizens are more likely to contribute positively to society than engage in criminal activities.
“When education is made available to everybody, people will understand what is right and wrong. They will become productive members of society instead of becoming destructive,” he added.
He maintained that terrorists and kidnappers should be prosecuted promptly and punished in accordance with the law, warning that delayed justice weakens public confidence in the justice system.
“When justice is delayed, justice is denied. Government should be allowed to deal decisively with terrorists and perpetrators so that punishment serves as a deterrent to others,” he said.
The TMC official also expressed reservations about rehabilitation and reintegration programmes for repentant bandits, saying such initiatives should be reviewed carefully.
According to him, while rehabilitation may have a place in criminal justice policy, it should not create the impression that violent offenders can escape appropriate punishment.
Jungle justice unacceptable in Islam
On the killing of Ummulkhairi Aliyu, Imam Ariremako insisted that no individual has the right to administer justice outside the legal system.
“Jungle justice is a no no. It is completely unacceptable in Islam. Nobody has the right to dispense justice on his own,” he said.
He urged the government to restore public confidence in the justice system by ensuring that everyone involved in mob violence is prosecuted.
“If it is confirmed that any security officer handed the victim over to those who eventually killed her, such an officer should also face the full weight of the law. A place where people run to for protection must never become the place where they are handed over to be killed,” he added.
Also speaking, TMC National Legal Adviser, Ibrahim Sulaiman, Esq., urged Nigerians to resist the temptation to take the law into their own hands whenever they witness suspicious activities.
He explained that the Constitution empowers only recognised law enforcement agencies to investigate crimes and maintain public order.
According to him, citizens should immediately report suspicious persons or activities to the nearest security agency, including the police, the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, or any other competent authority.
“In the Nigerian context, nobody has the right to take the law into his or her own hands. Whenever people notice suspicious movements or have complaints, they should contact the appropriate authorities. That is what the law requires,” he said.
Other issues highlighted in the quarterly address included annual flooding across several states, persistent fuel prices despite declining global crude oil prices, and the recent Court of Appeal judgment on the use of hijab in schools.
The organisation called on governments at all levels to strengthen investments in youth development, public safety, justice delivery, disaster preparedness and constitutional rights, insisting that sustainable peace can only be achieved through effective governance, accountability and the rule of law.
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