Muslim scholar denies link with Boko Haram, says allegations unfounded

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Hajj Monsur Consolidated Travels Limited, Amir Qamardeen Ajala, has petitioned the Department of State Security (DSS) over some malicious remarks made in defamation of his person by a social media preacher, AbdulWasiu Atayese (Jakmal).

Ajala made this known at a press briefing held in Lagos, calling on the security agency to arrest and prosecute Jakmal for false allegations against his personality and some other Muslim scholars from the southwest region of the country.

It was revealed that the preacher, Atayese of Ile Ajia in Ilorin, Kwara State, had alleged in a widely broadcast social media video that Sheikh Ajala, alongside other eminent scholars, were the architects of terrorism, adding that they were members of Boko Haram.

Some of the scholars he allegedly linked with the terrorist group were Sheikh Qamardeen Yunus, Sheikh Abdulmajeed Eleha, Professor Abdurrazaq Alaro, Sheikh Abdulhakeem Kutubi, Sheikh Abdulfatai Sarumi, among others.

Reacting, Sheikh Ajala, who anchors Wole Ola, a popular Yoruba Islamic programme on TV, distanced himself and the accused scholars from the terrorist group, noting that their ideology did not in any way align with his.

Ajala said the malicious rumour was an attempt to denigrate his image and those of others mentioned above.

“This unguarded and misguided pronouncement of his will not be allowed to slide. This will be vigorously challenged, inshaa Allah, by every instrument of the law,” he said.

He stated categorically that he had no dealings whatsoever with the maniac group called Boko Haram at any point in time.

“I am not one of them and will never be one. There is no reason for any association with them until they renounce their violent ideology against the state and the law of the country. I, as well as all the above-listed scholars, have always and will continue to warn the youth about the warped ideologies of Boko Haram.

“It is public knowledge that the Boko Haram stares their members away from what they consider Western education while I, on the other hand, never had issues with Western education. In fact, I am also an advocate of girl-child education. Therefore, these allegations by Abdul Wasiu are unfounded, baseless and complete balderdash.

“It doesn’t worth any one’s time. But for the avoidance of doubt, the social media contains a litany of my public lectures, my radio and TV shows, and teachings at different fora on various topics. Violence against the state or the people, regardless of their faith, isn’t one of them. But the present situation looks more like an attempt to eliminate real or imagined adversaries by spurious allegations. It is an attempt to give a dog a bad name, and then have the justification to kill it. Nigeria is no Banana Republic; it’s a country of law and order. For this reason, people must be held accountable for their actions and inaction as they affect others.”