Sultan Rejects Claims of Anti-Christian Agenda, Calls for Dialogue and Trust

The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, has rejected claims that Muslims in Nigeria are seeking to wipe out Christians, saying insecurity and violence in the country should not be viewed through a religious lens.

The Sultan spoke during the first triannual meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) held in Abuja, where religious and government leaders called for deeper understanding, dialogue and religious literacy.

Also present at the meeting were CAN President Daniel Okoh and Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume.

The Sultan said suspicions between Christians and Muslims were being fuelled by false narratives and misrepresentation of criminal activities.

“Today, as I stand here, I want to affirm that Muslims are not in a hurry and are not planning anything like decimating the population of Christians in Nigeria,” he said.

“We are not in any position whatsoever to remove Christians from Nigeria. No, it is not possible.”

According to him, insecurity should not automatically be linked to religion.

“Let us get the narrative right, it is not about religion. Let us stop bringing religion into it. Let us call them what they are, criminals, not Muslim criminals, not Muslim terrorists, not Muslim bandits,” he stated.

The Sultan added that anyone committing violence in the name of Islam was acting contrary to the teachings of the religion.

“Even if someone claims to be Muslim, what they do goes against Islam,” he said.

He also warned against equating knowledge of Arabic with religious scholarship.

“The fact that you understand Arabic does not make you a Sheikh. Arabic is just a language. So literacy is very important,” he noted.

The Sultan stressed that dialogue remained the best path toward peaceful coexistence in Nigeria.

“In NIREC, we believe in dialogue. No matter how bad things are, we believe in dialogue. When talking, you need to understand one another, not just tolerate,” he said.

“We must trust one another.”

He further condemned extremists who justify violence with religion.

“Somebody can go to the market, blows his or herself up, kill people and shout ‘Allahu Akbar’. Yes, God is great, but you are going to hell. They will suffer for taking innocent lives,” the Sultan said.

CAN President Daniel Okoh, in his remarks, said many crises in Nigeria were wrongly interpreted as religious conflicts when the causes were often social, economic or political.

“Religious literacy is not merely the academic understanding of doctrines or rituals. It is the cultivation of awareness, sensitivity and respect for the beliefs and practices of others,” he said.

“Across various parts of our nation, we continue to witness tensions that are sometimes framed along religious lines, even when their root causes may be social, economic, or political.”

Okoh added that NIREC had shown that religious cooperation was achievable despite differences in faith.

“Through NIREC, we have demonstrated that despite our religious differences, we share common values of peace, justice, dignity of human life, and the well-being of our nation,” he said.

SGF George Akume also emphasised the importance of empathy and education in reducing tensions.

“Where there is ignorance, suspicion can take root. Where there is misunderstanding, conflict can arise. But where there is knowledge and empathy, trust can flourish,” he said.

Akume urged educational institutions to promote accurate teaching about religion and worldviews.

“We must challenge our assumptions and resist narratives that seek to divide us,” he added.

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