“South would be conquered territory,” Sultan speaks on Ahmadu Bello’s comment

The Sultan of Sokoto and president-general of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III has spoken on alleged comment made by the premier of northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello, that Southern Nigeria will be conquered.

He said there was never a time when the premier of Northern Nigeria and Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello said the South will be conquered territory.

This would be the first time a prominent leader from the North will debunk the statement credited to Sir Ahmadu Bello which he purportedly said during Nigeria’s independence in 1960.

But speaking during a Security Dialogue Retreat organised by Global Peace Foundation and Vision African towards social cohesion, sustainable peace and security in Nigeria, the Sultan, who was reacting to a statement earlier made by Niger Delta activist, Ann-Kio Briggs, asked, “when did the Sardauna say that?

According to Ankio Briggs, Sir Ahmadu Bello was quoted in the Parot Newspaper of 12 October 1960 to have said:

“The new nation called Nigeria should be an Estate of our great grandfather Uthman Dan Fodio. We must ruthlessly prevent a change of power. We use the Minorities in the North as willing tools and the South as a conquered territory and never allow them to rule over us and never allow them to have control over their future.”

But speaking at the conclusion of the first session of the programme, Sultan said what people are claiming Sardauna said is untrue.

“What you claimed Sardauna said and what our sister Ankio Briggs said which one of you here has debunked, we have heard it so many times.

“But I didn’t hear the conclusion of that saying that he said: “I will deep the Holy Quran in the Atlantic Ocean. That is all what they have been claiming,” Sultan said.

According to him, those making such claims have forgotten that Islam existed in the South West before the Sokoto Caliphate.

“They forget that Islam has been in the South West long before the Sokoto Caliphate,” Sultan said, referring to the statement credited to Sardauna.

“So, if you are talking about it now, then something is wrong somewhere. But what I am saying is that some of us who attended the unity school and serve in the armed forces, find it very difficult to understand where the unnecessary hatred is coming from. When did ignorance take over the mind of the nation?

“But because we talk without education. We just wake up and feel something is like that. And I saw a quotation somewhere where two people can damage a society. The one who knows and doesn’t talk and the one who doesn’t know and talk.

“So, I concluded by saying that for the good of our country, we should ask those who know to talk and speak up and those who don’t to shut up,” Sultan said.

Spanking, Niger Delta activist Ankio Briggs said for changes Nigeria desires to be achieved, she said they must look at the problems adding that the 1999 constitution needs to be looked at.

“We cannot have Peace when we can’t address injustice and oppression. In 1960 a statement made by Sir Ahmadu Bello, “I see the problem we have in Nigeria today,” Ankio Briggs said adding that the Nation of 107 years is not an estate of a group of people or one religion or ethnicity, insisting every nationality is a minority.

“Southern Nigeria is not a conquered territory.  We must decide where power will go in 2023 and we must decide restructuring and power sharing because if Buhari finished his tenure, a Christian should be the next president. We can discuss restructuring, self-determination and people can develop their land,” she added.