The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, has urged Nigerian Muslims and Christians to stop insulting one another, stressing that religious tolerance remains critical to achieving peace and stability in the country.
The Sultan made the call on Tuesday in Abuja while speaking at the International Conference on National Security for Socio-economic Development, organised by Jama’atu Izalatil Bidiah wa Iqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS Nigeria) in collaboration with the Muslim World League of Saudi Arabia.
He urged adherents of both faiths to respect one another and abandon claims of religious superiority.
“We must be honest with ourselves that Christians can stop insulting Muslims. Muslims can stop insulting Christians. And that’s how we live in peace,” the Sultan said.
He added that neither Christians nor Muslims should consider themselves superior to others, stressing that God created all people and would ultimately determine their worth.
“We are not here to say we are better than anybody. We are not better than anybody. He [God] is the creator of us all. He will determine who is better. And he knows how to do it. So I am not here to say I am better than anybody,” he said.
The Sultan’s remarks came days after Islamic cleric Yahaya Jingir reportedly said Christians would consider themselves superior to Muslims if not for the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.
Although the Sultan did not directly refer to Jingir’s comments, he maintained that no religious group had the right to claim superiority over another.
The traditional ruler also called on Nigerians to revive the culture of caring for their neighbours regardless of religion or ethnicity.
“Allah created your neighbour for you. Whoever is your neighbour, you know what is required of you to do for your neighbour,” he said.
The Sultan expressed concern over the increasing abuse and misinformation on social media, particularly false and disparaging claims made against political leaders.
He warned that Nigerians who deliberately spread falsehoods about presidents, governors, senators and other public officials would ultimately be accountable to God for their actions.
Abubakar further urged Nigerians to channel their energies towards resolving the country’s challenges rather than advocating its disintegration.
He cited the late Imam Abubakar Abdullahi, who sheltered more than 200 Christians in his mosque during a crisis in Plateau State, as a powerful example of humanity and religious tolerance.
The Sultan said such acts of courage and compassion should remain part of Nigeria’s collective memory.
Also speaking at the conference, the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), Cornelius Omonokhua, said Nigerians should first see themselves as human beings before identifying as Muslims or Christians.
Omonokhua said NIREC had demonstrated the essence of religion through mercy and peaceful coexistence, adding that the collaboration between Christian and Muslim leaders was evidence that the two faiths were not at war with each other.
He stressed that religious leaders had a responsibility to promote peace, understanding and unity in a country where religious and ethnic differences have often been exploited to deepen divisions.
