Alleged Mosque Demolition: Rights Group Wants Claim Investigated

A Kaduna-based right group, Rigar Yanci International Foundation for the Less Privileged, on Wednesday expressed concern over the alleged demolition of a mosque in Rivers State.

The group during a peaceful protest along Sokoto road, Kaduna, called for thorough investigation to unravel the truth of the matter so as to set the record straight.

Deputy Director of the group, Comrade Engr. Usman Musa, alleged that On Monday, August 20, 2019 it was reported that the Rainbow Town Central Mosque located at the Trans-Amadi area of Port Harcourt was demolished by the State Government.

The group also frowned at governor Wike declaring a state in Nigeria as a religious state, stressing that it was totally against the law and unacceptable.

“The 1999 Constitution of Nigeria did not expressly proclaim Nigeria to be a secular State, however, it prohibit both State and the Federal Government from adopting any religion as State Religion, and guarantees to every person the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, as well as the right to freedom from discrimination on grounds, inter alia of religion.

“On the other hand, the Constitution in Chapter II under the fundamental objective and directive principles of state policy, enjoin the state to provide facilities for, among other things, religious life.

“There is no any law in the country that empowers any governor to establish a secular State in Nigeria and by doing so is totally going against the law.

“The most hilarious part of Wike act is demolition of a mosque in his state to defend his pronouncement, and then pretend that it wasn’t a mosque but a structure of blocks.

No matter how small a mosque is, either with blocks or without blocks is always a mosque, therefore demolishing a structure of a mosque is demolishing a mosque.

“The mosque Secretary Aliu Sidiq state clearly that “there was demolition, that is the correct statement and it was carried out by the state government on August 20th 2019, and what they did was they pulled down the fence, the foundation to DPC level and the Pillars.

“According to the Law what Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike did is illegal because you cannot give something to somebody and you turn back and collect it without any reason or discussion with that person.

“We commend the Kano State Governor Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje for instituting legal action against Governor Wike over the Mosque demolition, as a Governor of the most populated Muslim city in Nigeria with a large number of Christians in the state, he has done what is expected and he has shown that he is truly a leader by example.

“We are calling on all the remaining State Governor’s to follow Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje footsteps to charge Governor Wike to court for declaring his own State as a Christian State and demolition of a Mosque.

“We are calling on all the Civil Society Groups and Non Governmental Organizations within the country and International community to challenge the act of Governor Wike in order to protect the Democracy and Rule of Law in the Nigeria,” he added.