MUSLIM leaders in their hundreds, under the aegis of the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria, in Kaduna, on Sunday, said they would defend Islamic banking in Nigeria with the last drop of their blood.

They said since interest free banking was successfully practised in the United Kingdom (UK) and other Christian dominated countries, they would resist any attempt by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to frustrate the implementation of the banking system in Nigeria.

Speaking at a press conference shortly after their meeting at the Arewa House, Kaduna, the national president of the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN), Dr Ibrahim Datti Ahmed, warned that Muslims in the country would no longer keep quiet and allow others to blackmail the interest-free banking about to commence in September.

According to him, in England, it was called Islamic Bank of Britain, but in Nigeria, it was called Jaiz Bank, saying it was unfortunate that a section of the Christian community took offence with the name and had been making all sorts of negative comments against the Muslims.

Datti said in spite of the blackmail and mischief against the bank, Jaiz Bank had come to stay and would commence operation with three branches in Abuja, Kaduna and Kano before other branches would subsequently follow suit.

Commenting o the post-election crisis, they said the crisis was believed to have been pre-planned and pre-meditated in southern Ka-duna, well ahead of election.

“This reality is supported by the fact that Southern Kaduna Muslims were massacred on Sunday, even before the election results were announced. Whatever happened was a reaction thereto,” he said.

The Muslims faulted the way the crisis was managed by the federal and state governments, alleging that curfew was ruthlessly clamped down on the northern part of the state, while the southern part went scot free.

“The refugees were left to cater for themselves. In fact, most of them were compelled to leave the camp. The government must restore people’s freedom, compensate them fully and return them to their homes,” he said.

The group called on the Joint Task Force (JTF) to operate within the ambit of law and urged the Federal Government to respect the wishes of the elders and leaders of Borno State and withdraw the JTF soldiers, in order to pave way for genuine resolution of the Boko Haram problem.

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