Why SSS Quizzed Kwara CAN Leaders - Commissioner
From Tunde Sanni in Ilorin
Facts emerged in Ilorin the Kwara State capital yesterday that some leaders of the Christian community were invited for questioning by the State Security Service (SSS) over allegations that the state was harbouring the dreaded Al Qaeeda agents.
Commissioner for Information and Home Affairs, Alhaji Abdul Raheem Adedoyin, who dropped the hints in a chat with newsmen, clarified that CAN leaders were invited to assist the security service to substantiate the allegation.
He pointed out however that the invitation was not limited to the Christian leaders alone as the arrowhead of the Kwara Muslim Youths that spearheaded the anti Bonnke crusade protest last month, Dr. Muhammad Ali Olukade, who was accused of being an Al Qaeeda agent, had earlier been invited and quizzed over the allegation.
He debunked media claims that the Christian leaders were arrested, adding that "I have spoken with the Director of SSS and she told me which I verily believed that nobody was arrested nor detained by her department. Rather they were invited, quizzed and allowed to go home."
According to him, the manner of invitation of the Christian leaders was as a result of their alleged rebuffing of four earlier invitations extended to those concerned by SSS and you know if someone was invited by SSS or the police and such fellow spurned such invitation, you can imagine the effect."
"Let me add also that the chairman as well as the secretary of CAN in the state were never invited nor quizzed which is a function of the fact that SSS knew who they wanted and why they wanted them which I am told has to do with the circulation of certain leaflets alleging terrorist acts against some people," he explained.
The commissioner, quoting the SSS director, added that the invited CAN leaders had since been released without any form of detention, insisting that "SSS has a duty to get to the root of any security problem and if certain people are being singled out, there must be a reason."
He stated that there was no religious build up in the state as the prayer meeting of the Christians scheduled for today has kicked off without any form of molestation or any security build up.
But as a means of dousing the raging religious tension in the state, Adedoyin confirmed that the state is putting together a religious harmony body who shall be advising the government on religious matters as well as spread the gospel of religious tolerance and harmony in the state.
"Truly Christians are not being persecuted and there is no attempt to gag or persecute christians. We can never be anti-CAN and CAN should not encourage the politicisation of this matter.
"I can tell you that there is no clampdown on CAN and there is no reason for it anyway under whatever guise. The government exists for both christians and non christians, for muslims and non muslims as well as anybody that professes any other thing outside these two religions," he pointed out.
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