The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Abubakar, on Friday said the recent crisis in Mambilla Plateau, Taraba State, was not targeted at any tribe.

“The crisis was not planned by individuals or groups to eliminate any tribe.

“As an ex-military officer, I can only believe that the crisis was planned when I see a document to confirm that,” Mr. Abubakar said in Bauchi.

He spoke at a national symposium and launching of 2025 Vision by Da’awah Coordination Council of Nigeria.

The sultan, however, decried the destruction during the violence, and prayed against a recurrence.

He said he had met with some leaders in Taraba and cautioned them against playing politics with lives of the people.

“As leaders, we must study situations during any crisis before commenting. We must avoid comments that will worsen already bad situations,” he said.

He said leaders must focus on putting out fire where there was one, and stressed the need to reach out to all stakeholders toward restoring normalcy.

He urged the government to strive to bring culprits of the Mambilla violence to book, and warned against derogatory terms like Islamic fundamentalists or extremists, Fulani attackers, Berom or Mambilla terrorists.

“It is such derogatory terms that fueled the crisis,” Mr. Abubakar declared.

He said criminals should be treated as criminals without attributing such crimes to their tribe, religion or other inconsequential sentiments.

Mr. Abubakar urged residents of Mambilla Plateau to be at peace with each other, declaring that good will always triumph over evil.

Earlier, the national president of DCCN, Muhammad Maidoki, had said the body comprised of 51 groups out to propagate Islam.

He called on Muslims to refrain from vices, and urged Nigeria’s leaders to allow Muslims to reside and practice their religion in any part of the country.

The deputy governor of Bauchi State, Nuhu Gidado, in his speech, called for peaceful propagation of Islam in Nigeria.

(NAN)