Those who kill, maim during Ramadan are not true Muslims – Amaechi

As suicide bombing raged in Kano on Monday, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the governor of Rivers State, said those who kill and maim their fellow humans and destroy property belonging to them during the holy month of Ramadan are not Muslims.

Amaechi said this on Monday while addressing a delegation of the Muslim community in the state who visited him in Government House, Port Harcourt, as part of activities to celebrate this year’s Eid-el-Fitr.

Represented by his deputy, Tele Ikuru, the governor urged Muslims in the country to use the occasion of the 2014 Eid-el-Fitr to unite against terrorists and other extremists who hide under the Islamic religion to perpetrate violence, thereby bringing the holy religion to disrepute.

He said: “It amazes me that people commit evil even in the holy month. The month of Ramadan is a sacred month. It’s a month of fasting and sacrifice, totally committed to honouring Allah. Hence, if indeed the things they say they are doing are for Allah, that holy month, they would have respected Allah. The fact that they are doing it and desecrating the holy month clearly shows that they are not fighting for us, they are not fighting to protect our religion”.

The governor thanked members of the Muslim community in the state for their support for his administration and promised to continue to pursue policies that will engender peaceful co-existence in the state.

Earlier, the leader of the Muslim community in the state and vice president general, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Nasir Awhelebe Uhor, said this year’s celebration called for sober reflection in recognition of the unending terror being unleashed by the Boko Haram sect on Nigerians under the guise of fighting a holy war.

He thanked the Rivers State government for creating a conducive environment for Muslims to reside and carry out their lawful businesses without fear of molestation, pledging their support to help sustain the peace the state currently enjoys.