The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has declared that those who kill innocent people in the name of religion are criminals and not true Muslims, warning that anyone who sheds innocent blood while shouting “Allahu Akbar” would face divine punishment.
Speaking at the first triannual meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) in Abuja, the Sultan said violence across the country was wrongly being framed as a religious issue, thereby fueling mistrust and division among Nigerians.
The Sultan, who co-chairs NIREC alongside the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Daniel Okoh, stressed that criminality should not be linked to any faith.
“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,” he said.
He added that even when perpetrators claim to be Muslims, their actions remain contrary to the teachings of Islam.
The revered monarch also blamed ignorance and false religious authority for the growing extremism, noting that speaking Arabic does not automatically make someone an Islamic scholar.
“Somebody can go to the market, blow himself up, kill people and shout ‘Allahu Akbar’. Yes, God is great, but such a person is going to hell for taking innocent lives,” the Sultan stated.
The meeting was attended by top religious and government leaders, including Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, as stakeholders called for unity, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence across the country.
Source:@Vanguard
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