Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Kaduna State, John Joseph Hayab, has asked the public to ignore the widely circulating communique of a meeting chaired by Isa Pantami which plotted the elimination of former Kaduna governor, Patrick Yakowa.

Peoples Gazette had exposed the minutes of a July 2010 meeting held at Bauchi Central Mosque wherein Mr Pantami and other Muslim leaders resolved to eliminate Mr Yakowa, a Christian who became governor of the important northern state in 2010.

“We must either use the security or other means to eliminate the governor, his family and all those perceived as supporting him,” the minutes of the meeting sighted by The Gazette read.

Mr Yakowa died in a questionable chopper crash two years later, alongside former National Security Adviser, Andrew Owoeye Azazi, in Bayelsa. Findings on the cause of the accident were never concluded or made public.

Mr Hayab, a politician who served as religious affairs adviser to Patrick Yakowa, said the issue around the death of his former boss should not be made a media warfare, calling on security agencies to investigate the authenticity of the “dangerous document” in circulation.

“As someone very close to the late Yakowa, I call on all Nigerians to ignore the insinuations linking Pantami with Sir Yakowa’s death, endangering national peace. This, I call on security agencies to step in and tame the circulation of such dangerous documents,” Mr Hayab said 

The preacher said he feared the matter could endanger national peace but he failed to demonstrate how keeping mum on extremist views as expounded by Mr Pantami in the past has impacted ethno-religious situations in his Kaduna base over the years.

Though expressing strong reservations for the comments attributed to the communications minister, Mr Hayab claimed that the evidence at hand has no authentication, calling for further investigation that could provide hard evidence.

“The church and Yakowa’s family consider the allegation very serious with a possible adverse impact on peace and national security. Consequently, the church expresses strong reservations and concerns about statements like the ones associated in the past by Pantami as circulated in audios and videos released on social media,” Mr Hayab said.

“Society’s discomforts and disagreements should, however, not be enough reasons for us to approve the circulation of phony and injurious statements against any perceived foe.”

In a frantic effort to extricate the embattled minister, Mr Hayab, without evidence, suggested that the  “communique could be doctored. We are aware that in this age of technological advancements, we have to take any allegations with a pinch of salt until we are confident of the authenticity of the source.” Thus jumping into conclusion and rubbishing his call for thorough investigation into the matter.

Speaking further, the cleric asserted that when Mr Yakowa died, there was no inquiry to determine the cause of his death, claiming the cause of his death could be as a result of a technical fault.

He said that the Yakowa family and the church have accepted the tragedy and believe that justice is natural, urging that the death of Mr Yakowa should not cause chaos in the society. 

“Accordingly, there is a need for circumspection and care so that we do not throw our communities into further chaos in the rush to hang one man. At a time of strained relationships between neighbours, what we need are mediatory interventions and peacebuilding, rather than adding fuel to the raging fire,” he sermonised.

“And for that purpose, there is no point, now or later, to open up what will not bring back Yakowa but rather open up old wounds in a very controversial manner.”