Sheikh Ibrahim Masussuka: Time To Act Before It Is Too Late
Katsina is a largely a state dominated by two main religious sects, Ďariķa and Izala, both of which have a large following. The two are followed in a distant third by the Shi’a, which is in turn followed by the fringe, and last sect, made up of illiterate Islamic deniers, otherwise known as ‘ĶALA ĶATO’ in the Hausa language (Disbelievers in the authentic narrations of the last Prophet and Messenger of God, Muhammadu SAW).
The last group is fast developing into a force that if care is not immediately taken, may become more deadly to the Muslim community in the Northern region in particular, and the country in general. And for a state that has its cup full, coping with the murderous activities of bandits, the last thing it needs is another source of insecurity.
According to the Abuja-based group, Katsina Security Community Initiative, banditry is present in all but nine (9) of the 34 local governments in the state. The nine safe local government areas are located in Daura Senatorial Zone.
History is said to be a self perpetuating process, with the past being a comedy at first, then a tragedy. Therefore, a region that witnessed the emergence and devastation of MAITATSINE and BOKO HARAM groups, should be EXTREMELY WARY of another group that has the potential to cause even greater devastation in the area, and the country in general.
Sheikh Ibrahim Masussuka may draw likeminded people, and supporters from all over the country, but particularly the neighbouring states. Such people, many of whom may be wandering soulless machineries, druggists and all manner of criminals, are most likely to ‘live’ in the neighbouring states, and converge in Katsina at a moment’s notice, as if waiting to be called upon for a nasty act, not different from other such acts performed by deadly groups in the past.
The unhelpful and unhealthy growth of the ĶALA ĶATO sect in Katsina State has the potential to destroy everything, including the government of the state, given that a State of Emergency might be declared by the Federal Government before it is consumed by the problem too.
It is to avoid such unwanted scenario, that the Kano State government quickly threw Shiekh AbdulJabbar Sani Kabara in jail for preaching the same ideology. The state government acted fast by throwing him behind bars before he starts something that would make the deadly saga of MAITATSINE look like a child’s play.
The MAITASINE crisis occurred in Kano city in 1980, consuming the lives of 4,177 civilians, and scores of soldiers and police personnel with it. On its part, the BOKO HARAM group started in Maiduguri in 2002, before becoming a violent gang in 2009.
Boko Hara grew into the MONSTER that it is today because the right action was not taken quick, even though people who had the presence of mind at the sect’s beginning, did warn that things like that might happen in the future. Which is why many Mosques in Katsina state, have recently taken to advising against allowing the sect to continue its deviant form of religious preaching, during their Friday prayer Sermons.
It was alleged that some members of the upper echelon of the establishment, including the leaders, were alleged to support and patronise the non Muslim Cameroonian (who masqueraded as Muslim), Maitatsine in Kano, and the semi-Islamic literate preacher, Muhammed Yusuf of the BOKO HARAM infamy in Maiduguri. And those relationships ended in mass killings in the case of Maitatsine, and the intractable cycle of violence (often fatal) in the case of Boko Haram.
It is also alleged that governors are only proactive on things that threaten their ‘imperial’ seat, directly. Well, the Massaka saga will definitely change that in Katsina state, unless of course, the governor wants to leave his seat prematurely.
By the way, most of these fringe groups are started by non Muslims with the sinister motive to destroy Islam in the country, as evidenced in the mysterious emergence of MAITATSINE in Kano State. The present insurgent groups are made up of sponsored non Muslim druggists, who operate in the main under the guise of ‘purifying’ the religion, but MURDER more Muslims than none Muslims.
There was another sinister practice began by somebody with a similar sounding name, MASABA, in Niger state. The practice entitled marrying as many wives as one man can manage, and MASABA married as many as 100 women, each of which looked after herself, her children, and, to some extent, her husband.
It is a pre Islamic practice that is completely FORBIDDEN by ISLAM. But it naturally attracted the attention of LEWD men, many youngsters among them, and many women who wanted marriage at ‘all costs’. This was exactly the aim, to LEGITMISE what Islam has made ILLEGITIMATE with the sinister aim of destroying the religion.
It is therefore, a puzzling phenomenon, which is SPECIFICALLY aimed at misinforming and misleading the ISLAMICALLY illiterate, the ISLAMICALLY ignorant, and the barely ISLAMICALLY literate people, WHY MASUSSUKA is allowed to preach his inciting doctrine in an area noted for its influential intellectuals, very knowledgeable in both Islamic and Western forms of education.
Therefore, to allow the deviant group to operate freely within it, without putting a stop to the excesses churned out to the illiterate beyond the area, is to invite a disaster likely to consume the area, which is bound to happen sooner or later.
If legal hurdles make total banishment from the area, and Katsina state in general, a Herculean job, then the Kano state treatment (mated out to Shiekh AbdulJabar) can be a prepared alternative for the moment. OTHERWISE, Shiekh Masussuka may lead to a MASS MASSACRE in the state of ‘Heritage and Culture.
May God never allow Katsina state, or any part of Nigeria to ever fall in the hands of the like of MAITATSINE, again.
This article was contributed by a concerned citizen of Katsina State living in Kano
