Shariah Council Kicks Against Security Ties With Israel

The Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria (SCSN), on behalf of the Nigerian Muslim Ummah and all citizens of conscience, has expressed concern and outright condemnation of the recent diplomatic engagements between Nigeria and the State of Israel.

The group’s president, Dr Bashir Aliyu Umar, vice president, Sheikh Isa Salahuddeen Akindele and secretary-general, Mallam Nafi’u Baba-Ahmad, in a statement on Friday, condemned the very idea of Nigeria entertaining mutual security arrangements with Israel.

According to the group, such an initiative represents a grave departure from Nigeria’s principled foreign policy, a dangerous compromise of “Our national integrity and an affront to the conscience of the Nigerian people.

“It was widely reported that the minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mrs Bianca Ojukwu-Odumegwu, hosted Israel’s deputy foreign minister, Sharren Haskel-Harpaz, in Abuja during the Nigeria-Israel round of political consultations on Monday, August 11.

“The reports indicate that the meeting, while covering multiple sectors such as agriculture, ICT, renewable energy and education, also included discussions on security cooperation, intelligence sharing, counter-terrorism collaboration, and advanced security training.

“The council condemns in the strongest terms the very idea of Nigeria entertaining mutual security arrangements with Israel. Such an initiative represents a grave departure from Nigeria’s principled foreign policy, a dangerous compromise of our national integrity, and an affront to the conscience of the Nigerian people.”