The Defence Headquarters has kept mum over the labeling of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) ‘Muslim Airforce’ by controversial Islamic scholar Dr. Zakir Naik.
Naik is said to be in Nigeria on the invitation of the Sultan of Sokoto, and his social media posts have caused outrage among netizens.
Grow your business with us
The Islamic scholar is a fugitive following his trouble with Indian authorities arising from his preachings, which allegedly incite religious intolerance and suicide bombing.
In late 2016, the Indian authorities outlawed Naik’s Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) on the grounds that he had encouraged and assisted the group’s members in attempting to spread animosity, hatred, or other negative sentiments among various religious communities and groups.
Upon his arrival in Nigeria, the fugitive preacher posted pictures with officers of the Nigerian Air Force and tagged them “Muslim Airforce,” a post that generated heated debates on social media.
He also posted a photo with the Nigerian immigration officers and tagged it “Muslim Immigration”.
The controversial preacher also, in a post with the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, called the traditional ruler “head of state” despite Nigeria having an elected president.
When a newspaper contacted the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) spokesman, Air Cdre Edward Gabkwet declined comment.
Meanwhile, the acting director of defence information, Brig-Gen. Tukur Gusau, also did not respond to inquiries sent to his official line.
Recall that the Nigerian Air Force in 2021 detained about five officers for attending and delivering a lecture at an event organised by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Kaduna.
An online news outfit, SaharaReporters, reported that the personnel had been arrested and detained since October 13, 2021, over alleged disobedience to the military standing rules.