By Augustine Ehikioya
Towards overcoming security challenges in the country, the Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Salihi Magashi (rtd) has harped on the need for selfless sacrifice to end insecurity in Nigeria.
According to him, National Security is the responsibility of all Nigerians.
In a message, the Minister felicitated with the Muslim Ummah on the occasion of the celebration of Eid’il Kabir festival.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday by the Special Assistant to the Minister of Defence on Media and Publicity,
Mohammad Abdulkadri, and made available to Security Watch Africa (SWA).
It reads “The Defence Minister underscores the need for selfless sacrifice to end insecurity in parts of the Country pointing out that National Security is the responsibility of all Nigerians.”
General Magashi urged “Muslims to prioritise national security and unity in their prayers for this year’s festival of sacrifice, otherwise known in the Islamic parlance as Eid’il Adha.
While thanking Almighty Allah for sparing the lives of the Muslims to witness the festival, he called for total restraints from any act “capable of undermining peace, progress and prosperity of the nation during and after the festivities.”
He beseiged God to reward the symbolic slaughtering of rams as an act of expression of individual piety and conformity with the Almighty Allah’s injuction as contained in the holy Quran and the hadith of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, (peace be upon him.)
The Defence Minister therefore appealed to Muslims “to intensify prayer for peace to reign in the country.”
Encouraging the act of sharing of the sacrificial meat with non-Muslim and Muslim neighbours alike who are not privileged to slaughter ram, he said by so doing societal peace, friendship and relationship will be unconditionally strengthened.
He prayed to Almighty Allah to accept the sacrifice by Muslims as an Act of Ibadah and to protect the Troops in the frontlines who are not opportuned to celebrate Eid’il Kabir festival with their loved ones.