The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, has called for unity and peaceful coexistence among Nigerians, insisting that Islam does not support violence or religious persecution.
Speaking during the first triennial meeting of the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council in Abuja, the Sultan dismissed claims that Muslims were plotting against Christians in the country, stressing that both faiths had coexisted peacefully for decades.
“Muslims are not in a hurry and are not planning anything like decimating the population of Christians in Nigeria. We are not in any position whatsoever to remove Christians from Nigeria”.
The monarch strongly condemned terrorism and banditry, warning against attaching religion to criminal activities.
“Let’s give bandits and terrorists their rightful names and treat them as such. We should stop calling them Islamic terrorists, even if they may be Muslims”, he added.
According to him, violence and extremism contradict the teachings of Islam and humanity.
“In Islam, if you take one life, it is like taking the life of all humanity,” the Sultan added. “Terrorists and bandits are criminals, and we should treat them as such, not as Muslim criminals or Muslim bandits”.
Also speaking at the gathering, Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume urged religious and traditional leaders to promote peace and tolerance ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“The 2027 general elections are fast approaching,” Akume said. “Religious and traditional leaders have the responsibility to strengthen peaceful coexistence, youth education, security, and protection of lives and property in our communities”.
