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  • Coronavirus: Sultan orders closure of all mosques in Abuja

    The President-General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alh. Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, who is also the Sultan of Sokoto, on Monday ordered the immediate shutdown of all mosques in the Federal Capital territory (FCT).

    The development is in line with the efforts of the Federal Government to stem the steady spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

    A statement in Abuja and made available to The Nation, by the NSCIA, Director of Administration, Alh. Yusuf Nwoha said: “the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) under the leadership of its President General, Alh. Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, and Sultan of Sokoto, after consultations with Muslim Scholars and other relevant stakeholders, has today the 23rd March, 2020 ordered the immediate shutdown of all mosques in the Federal Capital territory.

    “As hard as this decision is, it became necessary that Muslims should join hands with federal Government and its Agencies in the sustained fight against the spread of the virulent COVID 19 which the World Health Organization (WHO) has since declared a pandemic.

    “The decision to close-down mosques is not alien to Islamic tradition and culture as it could be traced to the time of our noble Prophet (S.A.W). In such situation, the (Mu’adhdhin) is asked to inform the believers to pray in their dwellings.

    “The NSCIA, therefore, solicits the cooperation of the Imams and all Muslims in the FCT to ensure compliance to this directive as it is in the interest of all and sundry. May Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala assist humanity to stop the spread of this deadly disease across all the protect us all, ameen”.

  • Stop lying, Christians not persecuted in North, Sultan cautions CAN again

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, on Thursday faulted claims by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and other Christian leaders that Christians in Nigeria, particularly in the northern parts, are being persecuted and denied certain privileges because of their faith.

    The Sultan’s position was, apparently, in response to recent prayer protests by CAN and Catholic Bishops against what they perceived as deliberate attempts by state and non state actors to eliminate Christians in northern Nigeria.

    Speaking at the first quarterly meeting of the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) meeting in Abuja, the Sultan expressed concerns over the level of sincerity and commitment by members of NIREC to religious peace and tolerance in Nigeria.

    He said: “It pains me when we gather at NIREC or other meetings and agreed on measures that would promote religious peace, unity and tolerance. But shortly after, you will begin to hear stories of persecution here and there.

    “If we go out shouting, marching, dancing and singing that people of a particular religion are being persecuted and killed, you also forgot people of other religions are also affected in the killings by same enemies of the state.

    “We must not allow terrorists to come in between us and divide us. If we mistakenly do, then we are finished. There is nothing wrong with any religious organisation marching on the street to call for God’s interventions in a particular issue. But we shouldn’t make show of such things because we want to be visible and therefore bring more problems to the nation.

    “We have been reading and hearing reports about persecution of Christians in Nigeria and I keep asking myself, how? Christians are being killed, Muslims are also being killed and they are all lives created by God.

    “For me there is no persecution of anybody in this country. If you claim there is persecution of Christians in Nigeria, there would also be claims of persecution of Muslims, but that would not solve the problem.

    “People claim they are denied places to build Mosque, Churches in some parts of the country. But the right thing to do in such case is to approach relevant authorities and not to make claims of persecution.

    “I can quote from now till the next 100 years, of things that have been done or not done to Muslims, but we usually approach relevant authorities in ways that we believe would bring solutions to the problems”.

    Also, Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, insisted there was nothing like persecution of Christians in Nigeria, particularly in the north, as claimed by some religious leaders.
    He, however, appealed to religious leaders to be properly guided in their utterances and not to make statements that would incite the people against themselves.

    He reminded them of their positions as religious leaders with massive influence and loyalty from Nigerians, appealing to them to use their positions to preach peace and unity among Nigerians irrespective of religious belief.

    He said: “Nigeria has recently experienced several challenges including a spike in banditry, insurgency, kidnappings, killings and drugs abuse. It’s time for review of approach and strategy for improved result.”

    The SGF however, reminded them that no religion, community or business will be speared if Nigeria goes up in flames.

    He insisted on joint efforts by both religions to strengthen peace and unity in Nigeria.

  • Boko Haram is God’s punishment to Nigeria for disobeying His commandments – Sultan

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar has given a fresh insight into the emergence of Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria, since 2009.

    According to him, the insurgency is part of God’s punishment against Nigerians for disobeying his commands as given in both the Quran and the Bible.

    Sultan Abubakar said this in a message delivered at the 5th International Conference on “Love and Tolerance: Countering Violent Extremism for Peaceful Coexistence” in Abuja. The message bearer was Dr. Idris Musa, the Emir of Jiwa, an Abuja suburb.

    Abubakar said Nigerians are living in sin and have refused to abide by the teachings of the Quran and the Bible.

    He expressed dismay over the spate of insecurity in the country, lamenting that it had got to a stage where the rich were avoiding the poor.

    It(Boko Haram) is part of the punishment we are receiving based on our sins. If we can stop committing sin and abide by God’s words, things will change.

    “The security challenge is our problem. The Holy Quran is a message to mankind. The Holy Bible is a message to mankind. If we cannot listen to what the Bible and Quran have taught us and we continue in our bad ways, what do we expect?

    “It is part of the punishment we are receiving based on our sins. If we can stop committing sin and abide by God’s words, things will change.

    “I thank the UFUK Foundation for trying to unite the world to become one and love each other. Today, we are in a situation that most of us do not love each other. This is wrong, we are created in the same way and we are brothers, no matter the situation and religion.

    “We are appealing to everyone to live together and be our brother’s keeper and live in harmony. We should not create problems for each other,” he said.

    The Sultan however expressed optimism that Nigeria would overcome the security challenges bedevilling it.

    “We can win the fight against insurgency. Everyone is afraid of each other, but I am sure that we are going to win the war. Today, it has reached a situation where a senior citizen is running away from the common man, because, he is thinking that he would lose his life, why?” he asked. He called on Muslims and Christians to continue to pray for God’s mercy, peace and unity of the nation.

  • Insecurity: Something worse than Boko Haram May emerge from North if…, Sultan warns

    Sultan of Sokoto Saad Abubakar has warned that the north may witness a bigger catastrophe that than the Boko Haram insurgency.

    He pointed out the level of orphans in the region was alarming, saying it could snowball into something that “would turn out to be worse than the Boko Haram”.

    The Sultan also kicked against the establishment of an outfit in the region code-named “Operation Shege-Ka-Fasa”, cautioning elites not to allow youths take over their roles.

    The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNGs) unveiled the outfit last Wednesday, declaring it would tackle crimes in the region.

    The outfit was launched one month after South West Governors floated Amotekun, a regional security outfit.

    But speaking at a security meeting in Kaduna, Abubakar said northern elite are the problems of the region, as they have failed to provide them with good leadership.

    He advised the northern elders to caution the youth, saying if the elders fail to take the lead, the youth would do whatever they like and feel is right.

    “I saw it on the television, and the media gave them attention. Now, the elders allowed these youths to go forward. So, the elites are our problems, the elders are our problems.

    “If the elders don’t take the lead, the youth will do whatever they like and think they are right. You have to caution these youths by giving them good leadership, “he said.

    He added: “Now, they have launched their own security outfit I don’t know what they call it, Shege Ka Fasa’, meaning what?

    “So, I want to call on northern elders to caution them. Don’t allow these youths to take over leadership from you.

    “You have to reach out to everybody no matter how low the person is.

    “So, I think we need to take the bull by the horns and not allow the youths take over responsibility. I think we need to do that and much more.”

  • Operation Shege Ka Fasa: Don’t allow youths take over responsibilities, Sultan cautions Northern elders

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, on Thursday blamed the northern elders for allowing some youths to float “what they called Operation Shege Ka Fasa.”

    The Sultan spoke at a Northern Security Meeting in Kaduna on Thursday.

    The Coalition of Northern Groups had unveiled the symbol of the security outfit on Wednesday in Kaduna.

    Sultan said, “I saw it on the television, and the media gave them attention. Now, the elders allowed these youths to go forward. So, the elites are our problems, the elders are our problems. If the elders don’t take the lead, the youth will do whatever they like and think they are right. You have to caution these youths by giving them good leadership.

    “Now, they have launched their own security outfit I don’t know what they call it, Shege Ka Fasa’, meaning what?

    “So, I want to call on northern elders to caution them. Don’t allow these youths to take over leadership from you. You have to reach out to everybody no matter how low the person is. So, I think we need to take the bull by the horns and not allow the youths take over responsibility. I think we need to do that and much more.”

    He asked the governors of the northern states to tackle the security challenges in the region.

    Abubakar also expressed concern over the 50,000 orphans in the region as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency.

    Sultan, who is the Nigerian Muslims spiritual leader, said if nothing was done about the orphans, they would turn out to be worse than Boko Haram.

    “Several recommendations have been made but are not implemented and as they remain unimplemented, we will continue to suffer the consequences.”

  • Sultan tackles CAN over U.S. report on religious persecution in Nigeria

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar lll, has reacted to the recent U.S. classification of Nigeria as a nation that tolerates religious persecution.

    The monarch specifically dismissed claims made by the Christian Association on Nigeria, (CAN), who while reacting to the report, said Christians are being persecuted in Nigeria.

    The Sultan said he was also shocked by CAN’s claims.

    The inclusion of Nigeria in the religion violations list was announced by the U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo.

    “On December 18, 2019, the Department of State re-designated Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as Countries of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 for having engaged in or tolerated “systematic, ongoing, [and] egregious violations of religious freedom.”

    CAN immediately backed the listing of the country by the United States government among nations tolerating religious persecution.

    In a statement on Sunday by Adebayo Oladeji, Special Assistant on Media and Communications to the CAN President, Samson Ayokunle, the association warned that “discrimination against Christians can result in another civil war which Nigeria may not survive.”

    The Sultan of Sokoto, who was speaking on at the closing ceremony of 77th annual Islamic Vacation Course (IVC) organised by the Muslim Society of Nigeria (MSSN) at Bayero University, Kano disagreed with CAN.

    He said “if such persecution really exist, such is supposed to be tabled at the Interfaith forum where Muslims and Christians leaders meet periodically to discuss issues that would promote harmonious coexistence between the two religions (Christianity and Islam.”

    The Sultan noted that most atrocities allegedly committed by armed Fulani herders were not triggered by religion, “as not all Fulanis are Muslims.”

    The nation has been rocked with crises in recent years over the activities of armed herders, usually Fulani, who constantly clash with farmers leading to bloodbath.

    Fulanis practice both Christianity and Islam.

    But according to the monarch, “many Fulanis are atheists whose main interest is to protect their cattle.”

    The Islamic Supreme leader appealed to Muslim faithful not to be provoked by CAN’s statement, which he described as “false and partial.”

  • Sultan to Nigerian leaders: ‘Refusing to obey court orders is dangerous…’

    The sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, said political leaders who disobey court orders are setting a dangerous precedent.

    Speaking in Abuja on Thursday at the fourth quarter meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, the sultan said disregard for the courts will lead to lawlessness.

    Abubakar said court orders must be obeyed to the letter.

    He also asked Nigerians to be law-abiding in the interest of national development.

    “We must regularly obey and respect the laws of our land. We should never disregard the laws to avoid the consequences,” the sultan said.

    “If a court makes a judicial pronouncement on a particular matter, it should be obeyed to the letter.

    “If you have any problem or disagree with the pronouncement, the next step is to appeal the pronouncement instead of disregarding or violating court judgments.

    “If you are served a court order and you deliberately refused to obey it because you are a governor, president or any influential person, then you are setting a dangerous precedent.

    “There’s no society that will prosper through lawlessness; citizens must be law-abiding so that we can achieve the desired development.”

    The monarch added that inter-religious dialogue among the people will help the citizens understand one another better.

  • Nigeria @59: Revive Almajiri school system to curb street begging, Sultan tells FG

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, on Friday called on the Federal Government to revive the Almajiri Special School system, to address cases of street begging.
    Abubakar who is also the President-General, Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, made the call during a Public Lecture to mark Nigeria’s 59 Independence Anniversary on Friday, in Abuja.
    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the theme of the event was: ” Peaceful co-existence for National Growth and Development”.
    He expressed confidence that one of the ways to tackle the problem of children roaming the streets to beg, was to revive the Almajiri Special System.
    The Sultan said that most of the children roaming the streets, were not out there to seek for Islamic knowledge.
    According to him, Islam does not encourage begging.
    ” Most of these children really are not out there searching for Islamic knowledge. They are merely victims of hunger and looking for food, because Islam does not allow begging.
    ” We will partner with political leaders to proffer solutions.
    “With millions of children out of school, we must do something. We have to educate these children,” he said.
    The Sultan also enjoined political leaders to do justice to all manner of people, irrespective of their religion.
    The President-General also urged youths to always shun any act of criminality.
    On his part, the representative of President Muhammadu Buhari and Minister of FCT, Mohammed Bello, said the major problem of Nigeria was corruption.
    Bello said the federal government has initiated policies, especially in the agricultural sector with the aim of empowering youths.
    The minister also said that the federal government, in conjunction with the state governments has put in place a policy aimed at deliybasic education for Nigerian children.
    In the same vein, the guest lecturer at the event, Ustaz Tajudeen Adegun, urged media organisations to enlighten Nigerians on the dangers of corruption.
    Adegun said, the media will play a key role in discouraging corruption and promote good moral values for Nigerian youths to emulate

  • Operation Puff Adder: Sultan of Sokoto Pledges to Support IGP

    From Jonas Ike, Abuja.

    Efforts by the Inspector General of Police, Ag. IGP M.A Adamu towards galvanizing broad-based support in the fight against armed banditry and other crimes in the country received a comprehensive boost with the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III CFR pledging an unalloyed support to the Police and other security agencies.

    The Sultan made this pledge at his Palace on Tuesday in Gida Sarkin Musulmi, Sokoto when the IGP, in the company of the Executive Governor of Sokoto State, His Excellency Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Deputy Governor of Sokoto State, Alh. Mannir Dan’iya and other top Police officers and government functionaries paid him a courtesy visit.

    While promising to use the platform of the Forum of Northern Traditional Rulers to rally support of all the Traditional Rulers from Northern Nigeria to fight armed banditry and other crimes in the region, the Sultan equally aligned himself with the IGP’s policy direction of using the tool of Community Policing and Partnership to combat crime. The Sultan also urged Nigerians from all walks of life to support the Police in the fight against all manner of crime in the Country.

    Thereafter, the IGP visited the Police headquarters in the state where he charged the officers and men of the command to up the ante in the fight against armed banditry and other crimes in the State, promising to do everything within his power to provide them with adequate working tools and healthy working environment.

  • Buhari’s victory is divine, unchallengeable – Sultan, Ooni of Ife

    Buhari’s victory is divine, unchallengeable – Sultan, Ooni of Ife

    Traditional rulers in the country under the aegis of National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN) yesterday said the victory of president Muhammadu Buhari at the just concluded elections was divine.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared President Buhari winner of the presidential poll. Buhari polled 15,191,847 to defeat his main challenger, Atiku who scored 11,262,978 votes.

    The traditional rulers, led by the Sultan of Sokoto and chairman of NCTRN, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, yesterday paid a congratulatory visit to Buhari over his re-election, at the State House villa, Abuja.

    Speaking on behalf of the council, the Sultan of Sokoto, said Buhari’s victory was the will of God. He said the election was for the progress and development of the country.

    “As traditional rulers, we are not only the custodians of our people’s cultures, values and traditions but also the custodians of the religious beliefs and conscience of our people.

    “Therefore, your election as president for a second tenure should be seen as what God has destined and no one could have changed that destiny. He urged the president to lead with justice and fairness,.

    Also speaking, co-chairman of the council, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, assured President Buhari that the council would work very closely with his administration to fight criminal activities.

    “Open your arms to them, the opposition, listen to their criticism in a very constructive manner. Nigeria belongs to all of us, Nigeria is beyond all of us,” he said.

    Responding, President Buhari urged the traditional rulers to be prepared to play a crucial role in the prevention and detection of criminal activities in their domains.

    “You know all the families who harbour criminals and you know those who produce respectable individuals. You know the weaknesses of our society. We need your support to consolidate our achievements.

    Other traditional rulers who were part of the visit included Amayanabo of Twon Brass, King Alfred Diete-Spiff, Emir of Gwandu, Alhaji Muhammdu Bashar; Emir of Zazzau, Shehu Idris; Attah of Igala, Idakwo Micheal Ameh; and Tor Tiv, Professor James Ayatse.