The Jama’atul Nasril Islam (JNI) has described allegations linking the death of former Kaduna State governor, Patrick Yakowa to the organisation and Dr Isa Pantami, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy as an “excessive convulsive smear campaign taken too far”.

The Secretary-General of JNI, Dr Khalid Abubakar, said this in a statement issued on Friday in Kaduna.

Abubakar said the JNI under the leadership of the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Abubakar III and President General of the JNI, wants the Federal Government and security agencies to probe the allegation and punish the perpetrators of the heinous crime.

“We are taken aback by the desperation of some disgruntled elements who in their desperate attempt to smear the image of the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, drag the name of the JNI as being part of an alleged plot to assassinate the late Yakowa.

“This should be seriously investigated. The JNI, therefore, condemned this ill-conceived, unprofessionally prepared and cunning but futile attempt to drag its hard-earned reputation in the mud.

“We call on the security agencies to immediately swing into action and fish out the perpetrators of this heinous act and subject them to the wrath of the law before their foot soldiers disturb the modicum of tranquillity in the country,” the statement read in part.

Abubakar said this should be treated with utmost urgency while pledging JNI’s resolve to fully cooperate with the security agencies in this regard.

He said it was obvious that they have utterly crashed even before they took off.