‘Stop Calling Bandits Muslims’: Sultan of Sokoto Speaks on Wiping out Christians in Nigeria

• The Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar III, has dismissed fears of religious extermination in Nigeria.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar III, has dismissed concerns over alleged religious agendas in Nigeria, saying Muslims are not planning to eliminate Christians.

He made the statement on Wednesday at the first triannual meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) in Abuja, attended by religious and government leaders including the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.

The Sultan, who co-chairs NIREC, said many violent incidents being interpreted as religious conflicts are often misunderstood, warning that such narratives fuel mistrust among Nigerians.

“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,” he said.

He urged Nigerians to focus on promoting unity, stability, and mutual respect between Christians and Muslims, stressing that insecurity should not be wrongly attributed to religion.

According to him, criminal acts should not be labelled as religious violence.

“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,” he said.

The Sultan also warned against misinformation and false claims of religious authority, noting that knowledge and dialogue are key to peaceful coexistence.

“The fact that you understand Arabic does not make you a Sheikh. Literacy is very important,” he said.

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He added that dialogue remains the most effective way to resolve misunderstandings among religious groups.

“In NIREC, we believe in dialogue. No matter how bad things are, we believe in dialogue,” he said.

The religious leader further condemned killings carried out in the name of religion, saying perpetrators would be held accountable morally and spiritually.

The statement comes amid ongoing global and local debates over claims of religious persecution in Nigeria, which the federal government has consistently denied.