#EndSARS: Cleric seeks middle ground between Nigerian govt, citizens

By Mumini Abdulkareem
An Imam of Agaka Central mosque, Asa Dam road, Ilorin Ustaz Lukman Suleiman Murtadho on Friday called for a meeting point between the federal government and the citizens in the ongoing protests across the country demanding the scrapping of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
The cleric said this in his sermon (khutbah) to mark the weekly service shortly before the traditional two units of prayers.
According to him, based on the atrocities that have been levelled against the dreaded unit, scrapping it will not only worsen the already high crime rate in the country because it is the same officers with such disposition that will also be deployed to other unit in the police, it might also worsen the already saturated unemployment market in the country.
He then call on the federal government to do the needful as far as the issue is concerned by embarking on a comprehensive reform of the dreaded unit to bring it at par with 21 century policing in line with global best practices and adequate respect for the rule of law and citizens rights as guaranteed by the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria as amended.
Speaking on the rampant rate of suicides in the country, the Imam warned the Muslims to be wary of the dangers and consequences of terminating one’s life in Islam adding that such individual will be condemned to hell forever by Almighty Allah on the Day of Judgement.
He said Islam frowns very seriously at anybody or persons who decide to commit suicide irrespective of the problem they are going through adding that lives are very precious in Islam.
“The punishment for suicide amounts to eternal condemnation to hell in the hereafter in Islam no matter the justification. Now, we have to understand that this is a huge punishment for killing one self not to talk of killing another person.
“In today’s estimation, the amount to be paid according to Islam for anybody that kills a fellow human being exceeds N60 billion to make us understand the importance Islam places on the sanctity of lives”, he added.
He therefore called on the Muslims to always rely on Almighty Allah in every situation rather than to allow it to overwhelm them to the extent of committing suicide or killing others because of disputes or financial problems.
Life, the cleric noted, is transient and very short but full of deception. He said as Muslims, we should not allow ourselves to be carried away by the beauties and enjoyment of life adding that only Allah can grant us our heart desires and not how we strive or struggle.