‘Is it an attempt to reduce Muslim population?’ — MURIC speaks on Kano deaths

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has insinuated that the COVID-19 crisis in Kano could be an attempt to reduce the population of northern Muslims.

Strange deaths have been recorded in Kano but the government attributed them to other causes such as diabetes, hypertension and acute malaria.

Ishaq Akintola, director of MURIC, in a statement on Tuesday, said the strange deaths in the state are unusual and he asked the federal government to intervene immediately.

He said with Kano being a state that is strategically positioned, the disease can easily spread to neighbouring states if it is not contained.

Describing the situation in Kano as “fishy”, Akintola questioned how the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control got the figures of confirmed COVID-19 cases for Kano “when the only testing centre in Kano has been locked up”.

“Too many people are dying in Kano these days. It is too unusual. We suspect COVID-19. We need help in Kano very urgently. This is an S.O.S. The Federal Government must act with dispatch,” he said.

“We cannot afford to play the waiting game in this matter. We may not overwhelm COVID-19 even if we succeed in containing it in the rest of the country. This is because Kano is strategically positioned. The virus can easily spread to the North West, North East and then down South.

“Records have shown that the advent of the virus in some Northern states is not unconnected with the ancient city of Kano. That is an indication that the virus is very active in Kano State. Kano already has 77 cases of Coronavirus at the last count but even that figure is debatable.

“More disturbing is the rumour that the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in the state has locked up its offices and its officials are not responding to distress calls. The only testing centre in Kano which is situated at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital has also been allegedly locked up. So where did NCDC get its figure on Kano? Something is fishy here.

“Is this a deliberate attempt at debilitating Northern population with its attendant impact on Muslim majority population in the country?

“We, therefore, demand an inquiry into circumstances surrounding the alleged closure of NCDC office in Kano State as well as the paucity of testing centres in the whole North.

“We advise Kano citizens in particular and the rest of Nigerians, in general, to take half a tea-spoonfull of habat as-sauda (black seed) with honey every morning to boost their immunity. Warm water should be added thereafter. During his lifetime, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) recommended habat as-sauda as remedy for all diseases. Some COVID-19 patients have also testified to the effectiveness of habat as-sauda.

“Apart from this, we must be frank with ourselves. We should stop disobeying health officials and the authorities .”

Akintola asked the government to make sure “violators of lockdown rules must be dealt with according to the law while the lockdown on Kano must not be lifted until the rate of death slows down to a reasonable level”.

“Nigerian Muslims are currently enjoying a majority status in the area of demography. We must avoid anything capable of decimating our population,” he said.