The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has made a ridiculous claim, suggesting that the unusual death recorded in Kano State could be deliberate attempt to reduce the population of northern Muslims.
Over 600 persons have reportedly died of a strange ailment in the past few days in Kano, but the state government attributed them to causes such as diabetes, hypertension and acute malaria.
The Commissioner of Information in the state, Mallam Muhammad Garba, said investigation into the mysterious deaths was still ongoing but preliminary report from the Ministry of Health indicated that the deaths were not connected to the coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement on Tuesday, MURIC Director, Ishaq Akintola lamented about the unusual deaths and asked the federal government to intervene immediately.
MURIC raised concerns over a rumour that the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in the state had locked up its offices and not responding to distress calls.
Akintola alleged that the reaction of the NCDC to the deaths in the state suggests that there is a deliberate attempt at decimating the northern muslim population.
“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.
“We urge Kano citizens to strictly obey rules set by health officials, particularly social distancing, washing hands regularly with soap, using sanitizers and staying at home. You must break the cycle of this killer virus.
“Above all, the government must be vicious to be triumphant. 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,” he said.