Minna, Nigeria - The Niger State government has written to President Umaru Musa Yar'adua seeking advice on the actions of an Islamic sect called Dar-el-Salam which exists in the state.
According to the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Barrister Adamu Usman, who spoke to our reporter after a joint security meeting with six emirs in attendance, the state government is waiting for instructions from the Federal Government on the proper line of action to take. He added that the sect is a made up of Nigerians and foreigners.
He explained that the sect is at the Mokwa axis, which is one of the volatile parts of the state, saying their presence since 1992 had been a source of concern as the mode of their operation contravenes the doctrine of the rule of law.
"The Dar-el-Salam sect has over 2000 people and as a government, we are concerned more that the Boko Haram case is unfolding. So we have written to the Federal Government notifying them of our intention to look into their activities and we are waiting their response for one week before we move in", he said.
He said already, security agencies in the state had been placed constant stand by in readiness to check any form of upheaval that may degenerate into loss of lives and property in the state.
He explained that the security meeting also looked into the issue of laws guiding the Islamic preaching law of 1989 with the aim of giving it full legal strength to perform its mandate of screening activities of practicing the religion with the aim of enforcing compliance with the law.
Usman said that as part of efforts to check any possible violence from sects in the state, any preacher who operates without the approval of the law would face severe sanctions.
"The idea behind reinforcing the preaching law is to ensure that there is compliance with set standards by the state on the practise of Islam. Anyone who fails to pass through the approval of the law and proceeds to preach will be arrested", he said.
In a related event, the Niger state police command has arrested 43 people of different nationalities in the state.
According to the state Commissioner of Police Mr Mike Zuokumor the police had to make the arrest based on suspicion, stressing that they had to be interrogated to know where and what they were doing.