Recently, a group claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on Nigerian troops heading to Mali last Sunday, killing two officers and wounding eight others, in Kogi state. The group whose full names are Jama’atu Ansarul Musilimina Fi Biladis Sudan meaning “Group of Muslim Helpers from Sudan (Black Africa) opened fire on a convoy of troops leaving northern Nigeria en route Mali to join the West African forces in that country. This development jolted many Muslims who are worried about this crisis that has given Islam another name in the country. But who are these Ansar? Are they Nigerians or Sudanese?

They ought to have gone beyound the condemnation of any attack and advancing the cause of dialogue to strategic moves toward achieving a successful dialogue with the sect. This would have made a huge difference at least. We cannot continue to believe the insurgence will fizzle out on its own while they are snuffing out lives out of people.

No man is infallible.Errors and sins are undoubtedly part of human nature and no one will be free of it. All of us fall short, commit sins, and make mistakes. Sometimes we turn to Allah in obedience, and most times we willfully or forgetfully turn away from His ordinances. Imam Tirmizhi reported: “Every son of Adam sins, and the best of those who sin are those who repent.”

There was pandemonium at the Ebute Ero end of the Lagos Island in the early hours of Sunday following the sudden appearance of an Arabic inscription ALLAH (God) on a patch of dry cement, on end of the road leading to Ebute Ero Welfare Association Market, Lagos Island Local Government, few meters away from the Police Division in the area.

Apart from the civil war, the year ended recorded one of the highest numbers of deaths and casualties in the history of this country. Apart from the Boko Haram phenomenon which has endlessly claimed the lives of defenseless and innocent people and of course which many believe have exposed the weakness and initial laissez faire attitude of the government in dealing with internal uprising effectively, the ill fated Dana crash that claimed the lives of 156 was also believed to be as a result of failure of government in proper regulation, standards and ensuring good enablement in the sector.