The Director General, Niger State Bureau of Religious Affairs, Umar-Faruk Abdullahi, has confirmed that the state government has ordered the immediate shutdown of an Islamiyya Quranic school known as Markaz Ummina Habiba.
The state also banned the cleric, Muhammad Muhammad, in Tafa Local Government Area of the state.
Abdullahi said the shutdown became necessary because the school is alleged to be promoting anti-democracy and Western ideologies similar to those of the Boko Haram sect.
Part of the ideologies preached by the school is that casting vote is haram (forbidden), democracy is forbidden, and working under the Nigerian government is forbidden, which are similar to the ideology of Boko Haram.
It was also gathered that the school which operated both adult and children Islamiyya schools, had indulged in preaching that would undermine the peace and security of the state and Nigeria.
According to the DG Bureau of Islamic Affairs, many clips that were sent to them confirmed the ideologies the suspect had been promoting in his preaching.
He added that there is another Islamic scholar in Bida with a similar ideology that can cause crisis among Muslims and a breach of security.
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Abdullahi further said that, as a body, they are going to write to the chairmen of Tafa, Gurara and Suleja Local Government Areas about the decision and for them to be vigilant, saying there may be more scholars promoting such ideologies.
He, therefore, submitted that they are going to write to the police and other security agencies to launch their independent investigations, and whatever report they submit to the governor at the end of their investigation would determine whether the scholar would be allowed to reopen his school and continue with his preaching.
(Editor : Ena Agbanoma)
