Clerics want renewed search for Gawat
Gawat
| credits: File copy
| credits: File copy
Islamic
scholars, missioners and students have urged the Lagos State Police
Command not to relent in its search for Alhaji Razaq Gawat, who has been
missing for more than a year.
Gawat, the anchorman of an Islamic TV programme during Ramadan, E didè e ji sari, which is broadcast on Nigerian Television Authority, Channel 10, went missing around Apongbon end of Eko Bridge, Lagos Island on July 10, 2012.
While Governor Babatunde Fashola said
the government had not given up on Gawat on Sunday, the state Police
Command described his disappearance as a mystery.
The scholars, who spoke to our
correspondent, explained that finding Gawat would prove that police were
alive to their responsibilities.
The clerics are Chief Imam, Lagos State
House of Assembly, Ustadh Abdul-Hakeem Abdul-Lateef; Sheikh Habeebullah
Al-Ilory of Markaz, Agege; Sheik Muyideen Bello; National Missioner,
Ansarudeen Society of Nigeria, Sheikh Abdul-Rahman Ahmad and President,
Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, Lagos State Area Unit, Alhaji
Qassim Badrudeen.
Abdul-Lateef said, “The disappearance of
Gawat is worrisome. If the police are telling us that his disappearance
is a mystery, it means that no one is safe.”
Al-Ilory explained that finding Gawat and punishing his abductors would serve as warning against further crimes.
“Police should continue the search, get his abductors and let them face justice,” he added.
Bello, however, noted that the disappearance of Gawat had negatively affected other youths with zeal for the religion.
He said, “Finding Gawat is important.
His disappearance is discouraging other youths from taking leading roles
in religious activities.”
Badrudeen said, “Scholars have argued
that it takes the minimum of four years to declare a person missing, so
we should not lose hope. He is not lost, the police should not stop
their search.”
Sheikh Ahmad, in his reaction, said, “We
believe that the police will not close the case. Even if it is a
mystery, we urge them to get to the root of it.”
CULLED FROM: PUNCH NEWSPAPERS
July 17, 2013 by Sodiq Oyeleke
Written by NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE
Sodiq Oyeleke is a Media, Human Resources, Project Management and Public Relations Practitioner
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