The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III
By Abdullahi Abubakar
The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, has condemned killings carried out in the name of religion, saying anyone who takes innocent lives while shouting “Allahu Akbar” will end up in hell.
Speaking at the first triannual meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) in Abuja, alongside CAN President Daniel Okoh and SGF George Akume, the Sultan said violence wrongly linked to religion has deepened suspicion and mistrust.
“Let us get the narrative right. It is not about religion,” he said, urging Nigerians to stop labeling criminals as “Muslim terrorists” or “Muslim bandits.”
“Let us call them what they are, criminals. Even if someone claims to be Muslim, what they do goes against Islam,” he added.
The Sultan also blamed ignorance and false religious authority for fueling extremism, stressing that speaking Arabic does not automatically make one a Sheikh.
“Somebody can go to the market, blow 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,” he said.
