Razaq Bamidele
The Chief Imam of Lagos, Sheikh Sulaimon Oluwatoyin Abou-Nolla, has raised the alarm over the security situation in the country, lamenting that, “the spate of crimes in the country is worrisome.”
In a statement, in Lagos, on Wednesday, the concerned cleric asserted that, there is need for concerted efforts to urgently address the ugly incident, stressing that, “drastic measures need to be carried out to ensure the country does not turn into a banana republic.”
According to him, government at all levels must be alive to their responsibilities, regretting that, the situation is so alarming so much that hardly would any day pass that we will not read about kidnapping, killing, robbery, among other crimes in the national dailies!
“We cannot continue like this if we still want to be respected among the comity of nations. We should not allow the infinitesimal evil-minded people among us to continue denting the country’s image. And as the custodian of authority, the people in government must rise to the challenge. Security of lives and property being their primary responsibility must not be left for individuals or a group of people under whatever guise,” Abou-Nolla warned.
He suggested that, “if rejigging the nation’s security architecture is what would bring respite to the country, we should give it a trial,” adding that the state and local governments must assist the federal government by taking the bull by the horns to secure their domains.
In addition, the respected cleric said “we should not allow the dissidents in our communities to determine the fate of millions of Nigerians working hard to develop the country, just as he tasked religious leaders to avoid heating up the polity and work hand-in-hand with the government to expose crime perpetrators.
“Our utterances in the sacred places must be that which will unite the populace and not inciting one against another and we must not forget to always pray for our dear country,” he concluded.
