‘Buhari negotiates with terrorists’

Sheikh Nuru Khalid, the former Chief Imam of Apo Legislative Quarters Mosque, has criticised President Muhammadu Buhari.

On Sunday, April 17, the digital Imam remarked during a meeting wit activist Omoyele Sowore that the same administration of Buhari that negotiates with bandits and terrorists is now afraid of citizens speaking out, particularly those who seek their rights.

He believes that Nigerians should be allowed to talk freely without fear of harassment or intimidation, or else they will become slaves.

He stated, “I have conditions for reconciliation, one of them is I won’t withdraw any word that I’ve spoken and the second condition is that no one will caution me on any issue. 

“If it is against the will of the government, they have security operations, let them arrest me. If it is against the tenets of Islam, summon the FCT Committee of Imam to call me and ask. I am feeling as if I gained my freedom, I can speak out freely, I don’t mind anybody who feels good or bad. 

“My mission is not to convert people to Islam but create awareness in the minds of Nigerians that we are not slaves; our mothers gave birth to us as free people, we are free people, that freedom is very vital. 

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“If we can maintain that freedom, we can speak out against bad governance but if we are afraid of them, we are now slaves. Somebody will just take one person and negotiate price. 

“That’s what is happening in Nigeria today, they’re kidnapping citizens, selling them out. Look at someone that can bear to negotiate with criminals, now he’s afraid to listen to citizens. There’s a problem.”

After preaching against the administration of President Buhari and its management of insecurity in the country, Khalid was suspended as Chief Imam of Apo Mosque by the mosque’s steering committee.

After a recent terrorist attack on an Abuja-Kaduna train, the cleric chastised Buhari for not visiting Kaduna.

During the incident, eight passengers were reported dead, and many more were seized by the terrorists.

Terrorists raided the Kaduna airport prior to the train attack, killing one person. In addition, authorities in the state discovered and detonated devices twice in less than 24 hours.