An Islamic human rights group, Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has accused a Deputy Registrar of the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, Mr. Henry S. A. Osidehinde, of issuing a threat to Professor Ishaq Akintola.
Akintola is the director of MURIC.
Mr. Osidehinde, a reverend, was said to have issued the threat during a WAEC seminar for teachers held at the council’s headquarters in Ogba, Ikeja, on Thursday
In a press statement issued on Monday jointly signed by the general secretary of the organisation, Alhaji Yakeen Williams and the public relations officer, Mr, Shafiu Ayorinde, MURIC quoted Osidehinde as saying: “Even in Nigeria we are becoming over-religious. We are becoming more holier (sic) than Pope and more holier (sic) than the man in Saudi Arabia, that someone like Professor Ishaq Akintola will now be going to schools and disrupting places because of free time. We need to stop this.
“I mention this because it is getting too much and I expect the Lagos State Government to take proper action against Professor Ishaq Akintola. He went to a school and disrupted the registration exercise there. I have the video here. No, don’t threaten an institution that belongs to the government.
“The government can take anybody out and you may not see the person again and nothing will happen. Nothing. Not that they will kill the person. They will just take that person out of circulation and keep him somewhere.”
MURIC said it was shocked by the threat issued by the WAEC official.
Said MURIC: “This is nauseating. A Christian reverend holding a high post in such a sensitive institution nurses such pernicious ideas against a fellow human being? Where is his Christlikeness? It is sad that there are many like him in the civil service.
“This Muslim-hater forgot that we are in an IT world. Things have changed. Hardly can you say anything nowadays and get away with it. There are records everywhere today. Even walls now have ears. We are waiting for him to deny it. We have the audio clip. Just let him try to deny it.
“We cannot take Mr. Osidehinde’s threat against our Director lightly. It is outrageous. How can a whole deputy registrar in WAEC office talk like that? He has simply proved that he is a Christian fanatic. How can you wish a fellow Nigerian should disappear permanently? He must explain all these to the authorities.
“The deputy registrar complained that Akintola was threatening an institution (i.e. WAEC) that belongs to the government. But we will like to ask the reverend/deputy registrar if it is right to use an institution that belongs to government to persecute Muslims.
“Or is it WAEC that sent him on this criminal errand? Does WAEC wish Akintola dead? Does the examination body want our Director to disappear? It had better not happen. But did WAEC authorize its Christian officials to use their positions to vilify Muslims and wish them kidnapped or killed? Did WAEC ask its officials to use an institution that belongs to government to persecute Muslims?
“It is abundantly clear from the above transcript that Reverend Osidehinde is filled with ill-will for Professor Akintola. He has evil desires. He wants Akintola to disappear. What we are not sure of is the extent to which he can go. That is what the security agencies should find out from him. Does the government have a special squad that makes people disappear? Will he arrange to kidnap Akintola if government fails to make him disappear? Will he organize an assassination?”
MURIC also called on the Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Adamu, to launch a full investigation into the incident.
The group also sought protection for its Director and members of his family.
MURIC denied the claim made by Osidehinde in the audio that Akintola or MURIC threatened WAEC.
“It is a big lie. Neither Akintola as an individual nor MURIC has ever threatened any individual or institution. It is not in our character. We challenge the reverend/deputy registrar to provide his evidence for Nigerians to see.
“The problem we have in Nigeria today is that fanatics like Reverend Osidehinde become that carried away by their religious zeal so much so they allow it to becloud their objectivity. They use their public office to persecute people of other faith. Meanwhile, they see Akintola and MURIC as a threat to their illegal exploit. That is simply what has happened. That is why our reverend wants Akintola guillotined,” MURIC said.
