The traditional councils in Nasarawa State have been holding security meetings following the emergence of a new Islamic sect identified as Hakika in the Toto Local Government Area of the state.
The meetings followed reports that the sect was recruiting both old and young people in the area.
The sect was said to have taken over a large portion of land in the area where its members allegedly practised their strange doctrine.
It was gathered that the doctrine of the group included encouraging its members to commit fornication and adultery.
It was said that the sect did not believe in the Islamic injunction of compulsory five daily prayers and fasting during Ramadan.
Our correspondent gathered that the presence of the sect had become a source of worry to the residents, including the traditional council of chiefs which has been holding series of meetings over the development.
During a meeting in Lafia on Thursday, the Emir of Lafia who is also the Chairman, Nasarawa State Traditional Council of Chiefs, Alhaji Isah Agwai, bemoaned the activities of the group and warned residents to be wary of them.
In an interview, the Secretary-General, Ja’martu Nasil Islam, Nasarawa State chapter, Ahmed Ali, said the doctrine of the group was against everything Islam stood for.
He said, “They have the kind of religious beliefs which I think is not Islamic; It is not Islamic in the sense that as long as they said they don’t believe in the Quran, they don’t believe in any of the doctrines that Allah talked about in the Quran like fornication, they can take alcohol. In fact, some of the verses of the Quran they don’t even believe in them.”
The Senior Special Assistant to Nasarawa State Governor on Security Matters, Brig.-Gen. Muhammad Adika (retd.), noted that the group could be bandits from Zamfara State who fled from security operatives.
“It is believed that some of them are remnant of those running away from Zamfara as a result of the pressure from security operatives. They have come down and concentrated themselves in an expanse of land which is highly forested,” he said.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Yahaya Bello, confirmed the development, adding that investigation had since commenced into the activities of the sect.
The police spokesman, Samaila Usman, also informed our correspondent that the state traditional council of chiefs had earlier confirmed the existence of the sect.
He added that Agwai had summoned a meeting of the state traditional council to draw residents’ attention to the activities of the sect.
Source: Punch
