Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi

A prominent Islamic cleric and  respected leader in the Tijjaniyya sect, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi has urged the Federal Government not to allow the Igbo to secede but rather sit them down with other ethnic nationalities to dialogue and find solutions to the causes of agitations which threaten the unity of Nigeria.

Sheikh Bauchi who gave the advice in Kano while speaking to newsmen on Tuesday, said Nigeria’s nationhood and huge population gives it an edge over smaller African countries and makes it every investor’s destination.

He said since those agitating for Biafra were not born when the Nigerian civil war took place, they were in no position to know what will be lost if another war breaks out in a nation of over 150 million people.

He further explained that the prosperity and development of Nigeria would only be possible if both parties sat down at a round table to discuss nation building, with each party doing whatever suits their culture, tradition and religion.

The cleric, while calling on youths in the North to sheath their swords regarding the October 1 ultimatum given to the Igbo to vacate the region, also appealed to the Shi’ite sect to desist from their confrontational approach when exercising their freedom of religion which has resulted in the continuous detention of their leader, Malam Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.