He made the remarks on Wednesday at the first triannual meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council in Abuja.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, has dismissed fears of a hidden religious agenda in Nigeria, insisting that Muslims are not planning to eliminate Christians in the country.

He made the remarks on Wednesday at the first triannual meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council in Abuja.

The meeting brought together top religious and government figures including the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Daniel Okoh, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.

The Sultan said many violent incidents in the country are wrongly interpreted as religious conflicts, a trend he warned has deepened suspicion and mistrust among Nigerians.

He stressed that Muslims have no intention of targeting Christians or any group for elimination in Nigeria.

“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.”

He urged Nigerians to stop linking criminality to religion, insisting that those carrying out violence should simply be called criminals.

“Let us get the narrative right, it is not about religion. Let us stop bringing religion into it,” he said.

“Let us call them what they are, criminals, not Muslim criminals, not Muslim terrorists, not Muslim bandits.”

The Sultan added that even if perpetrators claim religious identity, their actions contradict the teachings of Islam.

He also warned against religious misinformation and false authority, noting that knowledge of Arabic does not make one a religious scholar.

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

He called for stronger dialogue between religious groups, describing it as the only sustainable path to peace in Nigeria.

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

He added that mutual understanding and trust were more important than mere tolerance among citizens of different faiths.

“We must trust one another,” he stated.

On violence committed in the name of religion, the Sultan said such acts are condemned in Islam and those responsible would be held accountable by God.

Earlier, CAN President Daniel Okoh said religious literacy is key to reducing tensions and promoting respect among faiths.

He explained that many conflicts wrongly described as religious are often driven by social, economic or political issues.

Akume also stressed that ignorance and misunderstanding fuel conflict, while knowledge and empathy build trust and unity.

He called for stronger educational efforts in schools and communities to promote accurate understanding of different religions.

He further urged government commitment to tackling insecurity, especially attacks on schools and kidnapping of students.

Join us on our WhatsApp Platform @KOIKIMEDIA NEWS YOUR PAGE

koikimedia Bringing the World 🌎 Closer to Your Doorstep