Some northern youths under the aegis of Coalition of Northern Youth Groups on Tuesday said the Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike never demolished any mosque at the Trans-Amadi area of Port Harcourt as being alleged in some quarters.
According to the Coalition, they investigated the alleged demolition and found that that the only properties demolished in the area, were illegal structures.
Addressing a press conference in Kaduna on Tuesday, Convener of the group, Mohammed Sani, claimed political merchants were working to cause political tension and disaffection among Nigerians.
Sani, therefore, cautioned against such an act, noting that nothing must be done to cause religious disharmony among Nigerians.
The Convener said, “Coalition of Northern Youth Groups has observed with patriotic disenchantment the worrisome trend of some politicians capitalising on falsehood to fan the furnace of ethnic, religious or regional division just for self-serving and fiendish gains while endangering the collective goodwill and peace.
“The recent wild rumour of an alleged demolition of a mosque located at Trans Amadi Road, GRA, Rivers State is not only false and misleading but intended to draw religious ire, stir political tension and widen the chasm of national division, which rather requires healing and bonding at this point in time.
“It should be noted that we immediately swung into action on hearing the disturbing news and have conducted an on-the-spot visit to the said location and our findings are very contrary to the falsehood being peddled.
“A diligent assessment of the location showed that even though structures were demolished around that area, none of such structures was or is a mosque building.
“On further interaction with residents and the Muslim community in the area, we gathered that the said location being labelled as a mosque building belongs to an individual who was building his personal structure without government approval.
“The said fellow had gone ahead to erect a foundation on the site ostensibly to wade off government action, he thereafter proceeded to unilaterally label the location as a mosque.
“Further findings led us to the clear revelation that the matter has been properly addressed by the relevant Courts and the government was acting within the precincts of the law.
