The Emir of Gwandu, Alhaji Mustapha Haruna Jokolo,...

The Emir of Gwandu, Alhaji Mustapha Haruna Jokolo, said that any Muslim supporting the removal of capital punishment from the Nigerian constitution should regard himself as an infidel. Alhaji Mustapha made his statement in Gusau, the capital of Zamfara State, during a courtesy call on the of the state Governor Ahmed Sani. He said that as a Muslim, he would not support the move, and that any Muslim who supported or participated in it should not call them self a Muslim. The emir also explained that if the federal government was bent on implementing such a Bill, the entire Muslim community would react and be ready to sacrifice their lives for their religion. According to the Emir, the Holy Qur'an is not a man-made book, and therefore its contents cannot be changed by anybody on earth. "I am telling whoever tries to be used in passing that Bill into law that we will declare war and confrontation against him, no matter his position in the society. We are all going to die and stand before God the Almighty to give an account of our stewardship while on earth," the emir emphasised. "Anybody who says God is wrong by saying that we should not pass the death sentence that person is either crazy or lunatic," he added.