Sultan of Sokoto Dismisses Claims of Muslim Plan to Wipe Out Christians in Nigeria

“Not possible”

The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, has shut down claims that Muslims are planning to eliminate Christians in Nigeria, calling such narratives dangerous lies that only make division worse.

Speaking at the first triannual meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) in Abuja on Wednesday, the Sultan was direct: “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. We are not in any position whatsoever to remove Christians from Nigeria. No, it is not possible.”

The meeting brought together religious leaders and government officials, including CAN President Daniel Okoh and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.

Call them criminals, not Muslim terrorists

The Sultan warned against attaching religion to violence, banditry and terrorism. “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 said.

He argued that many people who carry out attacks in the name of Islam are actually acting against the faith’s teachings. “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 also pushed back on the idea that speaking Arabic makes someone an Islamic authority. “The fact that you understand Arabic does not make you a Sheikh. Arabic is just a language. So literacy is very important.”

Dialogue is the only way

Stressing the need for continuous engagement between faiths, the Sultan said: “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.”

SGF George Akume, who also spoke at the event, charged clerics and traditional rulers to promote tolerance ahead of the 2027 elections. “The 2027 general elections are fast approaching and NIREC, through our traditional and religious leaders, faith-based organisations and youth associations, has the moral responsibility for strengthening the network of collaboration, grassroots mobilisation, youth education, peaceful co-existence, tolerance, security and protection of lives and property in our communities,” he said.

The Sultan’s remarks come at a time when religious tensions have been rising in parts of the country, with violence often mischaracterised along faith lines. His message was clear: criminals should be called criminals, regardless of what they claim to believe. And anyone who kills innocent people in the name of religion should expect divine punishment, not reward.

Sources: Politics Nigeria, Legit.ng, Gazette NG, TheCitizen, TheDefender