Insecurity: Additional pain for Muslims – Oloyede

2026-02-15 - 17:31

...As UMA holds 31st pre- Ramadan lecture By Adesina Wahab The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, Prof. Isaq Oloyede, has said insecurity has become additional pain for Muslims in the country, saying it has added to the socio-economic challenges they face. This is just as he also described it as a paradox for Muslims who are also victims and sometimes seen as a causative factor of insecurity in the land. He stated this on Sunday while delivering the 31st pre- Ramadan lecture of the University of Lagos Muslim Alumni, UMA. His lecture was titled “Muslims: The challenge of national security.” “Insecurity has become additional pain for Muslims and has led to stereotyping. Muslims are not external observers, they are victims, citizens and even actors in some cases. It is a paradox in Nigeria. We started 2026 with news of abductions and killings in some parts of the country. Kidnapping has become an economic activity for some people. “Islam is not defined by the activities of insurgents and bandits who claim to be Muslims. Some of the drivers of insurgency are those who take religion to the extreme and those who see religion as irrelevant. Islamic leaders have a duty to fight religious extremism,” he opined. On whether the application of Sharia would help ameliorate the situation, Oloyede submitted that a correct and undiluted use of it would do. “Sharia is expected to ensure security because it is to take care of different aspects of human existence. Security of lives, properties, the mind of a person, the intellect, the dignity of a person, whether he is a Muslim or not is expected to be protected. Muslims are expected to be kind to other people whether they are Muslims or not. In fact, a Muslim is expected to be kind to animals not to talk of human beings. As a Muslim, you are expected to dispense justice to all whether they are Muslims or of other faiths,” he stated. Oloyede charged Muslims to treat security as a moral obligation, have a deep engagement about peace building, never allow extremism in their homes among others. In his address, the President of UMA, Dr Mumuni Alao, expressed disappointment with the escalation of insurgency in the country and the aborted coup plot. “The UNILAG Muslim Alumni condemns any action by any group of people that will drag Nigeria back again into autocratic military rule. We fully endorse our currency democratic dispensation where change of government is done periodically through the ballot box. We only challenge the Independent National Electoral Commission to continue to improve the electoral process to ensure free and fair elections, while politicians who emerge victorious should practice good governance to sustain democracy,” he said. The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, said for every desire for an improved society or even wanting to make paradise in the end, there must be input from the end of the people. He added that poverty has become a major source of insecurity in the country. In his keynote address, the Chief Iman of Lekki Central Mosque, Dr Ridwan Jamiu, admonished that anybody who wants to make paradise should decide to worship God, and have the ultimate goal of giving great account to his Maker at the end. The Vice Chancellor of UNILAG, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, represented by Prof. Olufemi Shuaib, commended UMA for their tireless efforts at positively promoting the image of the university.