The Oyo State Command of the Department of State Services (DSS) was impartial in the handling of the proposal by some Islamic clerics to establish a Sharia Court in Oyo town and the subsequent burning of the Quran by a traditionalist in the same general area, investigations have revealed.
Security sources, who spoke confidently with a select group of journalists in Abuja, said the DSS’s actions were balanced, proactive, and intended to douse tensions in both cases.
It was further gathered that the incidents were a national security concern, falling within the purview and mandate of the secret service.
According to the sources, the DSS’s swift intervention prevented the matter from escalating beyond the public uproar it generated within social media.
It was gathered that, shortly after the Islamic clerics announced plans to establish a Sharia Court in the ancient town of Oyo in Oyo State, the State Command of the DSS invited them for an “Interview”.
During the interview session, the proponents were made aware that only the constitution can guarantee the establishment of a court anywhere in Nigeria.
It was gathered that the clerics decided to drop the plan shortly after the service sensitised them.
In a similar measure, the DSS arrested the traditionalist, who openly burnt the Quran and uploaded it on social media.
Speaking anonymously, one of the sources said: “Contrary to some misguided insinuations in some quarters, the Oyo Command of the DSS dealt with the two situations equally.
“The balancing act doused the volatile situations, thereby preventing potential ethno-religious crisis, which would have threatened national security.
“The clerics later retracted and published the retraction in some national dailies, which is the covert intervention work of the SSS.
“Prior to the retraction, they were invited for an Interview at the Service’s Command Headquarters in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
“During the session, they were made aware that the establishment of a court is a Constitutional matter; hence, no individual or group can decide on it.”
On the arrest of the traditionalist seen burning the Quran, another source said this underscored the seriousness of the situation as plans have been concluded to arraign the suspect in court for prosecution on offences bordering on possible incitement, disturbance of public peace and threat to national security.
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