Group urges governors to avoid misuse of prerogative of mercy

A community of Muslims in Kwara State under the aegis of Al-Harakatul-Islamiyyah, has appealed to state governors across the country to avoid the misuse of prerogative of mercy (the power to pardon or reduce the sentence of a convicted offender) on political grounds in favour of convicts.

Speaking with newsmen in Ilorin on Wednesday, the  ameer of the Ilorin-based group, also known as The Muslim Ummah, Abdur-Razzaq Abdulwahhab Al-Ameen Aladodo, also implored governments to amend the law relating to dealing in human parts to allow for stiffer punishment “to serve as deterrent to would-be perpetrators of such a heinous crime.”

He condemned the killing of a student, Hafsah Lawal, by a purported cleric, one Abdulrahman Bello, describing the act as inhuman, unacceptable and un-Islamic.

Aladodo advised the Kwara State government to treat all persons involved in the crime as gangrene, “which, if left to subsist, would eventually infect others.”

He said: “I urge all state governors, particularly that of Kwara State, to expeditiously sign the death warrant of any convicted felon or death-row inmates.

“I implore governments to be alive to their responsibilities by institutionalising the act of commanding righteousness and forbidding evil.

“The government is enjoined to toughen up the Anti-cybercrime Law to curb physical and virtual diabolic acts.

“It is imperative that our traditional rulers should refrain from commercialising religious titles by awarding same to people of questionable characters, so that such people would not be taken as role models by innocent youths.

“Ditto for our scholars, who should quit promoting, extolling and praising money ritualists, corrupt people and ulamau suui (evil scholars) as philanthropists.

“Furthermore, our scholars should stop fraternising with musicians and artists and avoid ostentatious life of spraying money at social functions.

“The general populace should be vigilant to report suspicious people to the law enforcement agents even though there are some bad eggs within the rank and file of security agencies.”

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“I appeal to all parents to be alive to their parental roles; they should encourage their children to use social media platforms responsibly and with circumspection.

“While thanking the right-thinking and morally upright people of Ilorin for their prompt reaction to this heinous crime, careless commentators amongst scholars are hereby advised to take caution and remember that every spoken word will be accounted for on the Day of Judgment.

“I make bold to say that the accused Abdulrahman Bello is not an Islamic cleric (Alfa) as being touted in the print and electronic media, granted that he attended Islamic schools (Madrsah), he took after some ulamau suui (evil scholars), who specialise in using human parts for money rituals and other diabolical practices.”