Press Release: SET HONEST PRISONER FREE 11th January 2008

Some Nigerian newspapers of today Friday, 11th January 2008, carried the report of a prisoner, Haruna Hamman, who found and returned the sum of one hundred thousand naira (N100,000.00) belonging to the Emir of Mubi in Adamawa State. Interestingly enough, Haruna Hamman was convicted and imprisoned over the loss of a handset given to him to charge by his boss at a construction company.

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) commends this rare act of honesty. Nonetheless, we suspect a travesty of justice in the case of the convict.MURIC finds it paradoxical that a man who could be tempted to ‘steal’ an ordinary handset resisted the temptation of stealing N1,000.00. MURIC therefore calls for an immediate review of Hamman’s case.

We appeal to the Chief Justice of Adamawa State to take urgent steps to set the prisoner free. We also charge the governor of Adamawa to protect all citizens in his domain including prisoners. MURIC asserts that it is morally wrong for big wigs in Adamawa or any state in the federation to feed fat on the poor, the underpriviledged and the disadvantaged, whether prisoners or free citizens. We find no justification whatever for prisoners to be made to wash the dirty clothes of the Emir of Mubi. We demand that prison officials stop violating the Allah-given and fundamental human rights of prisoners. Instead of making prisoners to serve Emirs, they should be made to serve the public.

MURIC warns Muslim dignitaries to fear Allah to whom they all shall have to render account Yawm Al-Qiyamat (on the Day of Ressurrection) “Allah cannot be questioned for His acts but they shall be questioned” (Qur’an 21:23).

Dr. Is-haq Akintola
DIRECTOR