The Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN) is calling for the immediate arrest and public prosecution of Muslim Cleric Idris Abdulaziz Dusen Tenshi.
The demand was made at the end of the 2024 National Prayer Day and the 1st Quarter National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of YOWICAN, which took place at the National Christian Centre in Abuja on Friday.
Tenshi is accused of inciting violence by urging the killing of Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the wife of the President, and labeling her an “infidel” because of her Christian faith. Belusochukwu Enwere, the Chairman of YOWICAN, expressed the council’s unified position in a statement, stressing the immediate action needed from the government and security agencies.
The communiqué partly reads: “NEC is calling for the immediate arrest of the Muslim Cleric (Idris Abdulaziz Dusen Tenshi) who has called for the killing of the wife of the President, Sen Oluremi A Tinubu for being a Christian. Describing her as an infidel.
“The NEC is calling for the public prosecution of the cleric and wish to request the said preacher should be restricted from preaching in Nigeria to serve as a deterrent to others.
“The NEC is giving the Federal Government and security agencies to act immediately to avoid the further deterioration of security situation in the country because of the unguided statement/utterance.”
The meeting discussed various national issues, such as the economic challenges citizens are facing due to increasing living costs and the worsening security situation characterized by widespread killings.
YOWICAN emphasized the need for the government to create policies targeting youth unemployment and stressed the importance of including young people in the country’s development efforts.
Enwere remarked, “The NEC acknowledges the hardship in the country which is occasioned by the constantly rising cost of living in the country which has resulted to an unprecedented level of hunger and suffering among the citizenry which our members are not exempted from.
“NEC calls on Government at all levels to intensify efforts at ameliorating the plights of the citizens in the country.”
The organization also criticized the recent killings in Plateau State and other areas, stating that they were a result of a lack of proper national security measures.
“The NEC also totally condemns in its entirety, the deteriorating state of security in our country which has manifested in the wanton killings across the country, especially the massacre of our Christian brethren in Mangu, Barkin Ladi, Bassa, Bokkos Local Government Areas of Plateau State and other parts of the Country.
“We call on all stakeholders in the security of this country to expedite action on arresting the perpetrators of the evil act,” the communique added.
