₦airaland Forum

"Nigeria a Secular Nation; It's wrong to subject Christians to Sharia law – Sultan of Sokoto."

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alh. Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar has said that it is totally wrong for Christians to be dragged or subjected to sharia law or court. The monarch issued this statement on Wednesday, December 10, 2025 at the opening of the 2025 triennial meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) in Abuja, with the theme, “Collaboration of Inter-Religious Council with Government to Promote Peace in Nigeria”.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Sultan said that the sharia law will never be implemented for any non-Muslim, advising that Christians should not be made to dress or pray like Muslims. While emphasizing that the Sharia is purely 100 per cent for Muslims, Abubakar explained that Nigeria is more of a multi-religious country than a secular state.

He added that the government has not adopted any of Islam or Christianity as state religion but supports the development of the two major religions in the country. The Sultan who spoke against recent calls for abolition of Sharia law, said that Nigeria allowed the practice of all religions without undue external interference.

Also speaking at the event, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Abbas Tajudeen, called for deeper collaboration between NIREC and the Federal Government.

He said this will strengthen peace-building efforts and counter rising insecurity across the country. Tajudeen noted that the gathering was significant, coming at a time when violent extremists were threatening national unity and exploiting religious sentiments to sow discord.

The speaker commended NIREC for its longstanding interventions in promoting harmony, noting that the meeting demonstrates the national resolve to live together in religious harmony.

“It signifies the need for more synergy between the council and the government, and for concerted efforts in promoting peaceful coexistence between people of diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds," he said.

“I look forward to the actionable plans that the council will propose at this meeting, and promise legislative support for their implementation. We must challenge stereotypes and show that the negative narrative on inter-religious relations in our country, especially the story of genocide against members of a particular religion, is false and misleading."

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume said that the country was facing numerous challenges, including internal security issues, heightened political rhetoric and degraded mutual trust.
He said that Nigeria also came under international pressure for the wrong reasons, orchestrated by mis-characterisation of the security situation.

The SGF assured all Nigerians that the Federal Government would not relent in ensuring the welfare and security of citizens as enshrined in the constitution. He called on leaders of faith, traditional rulers, and voices of reason to come together to promote peace through collaboration.

“We have survived past crises, including a grueling civil war and emerged with a renewed commitment to unity in diversity. Our independence and sovereignty are non-negotiable, and we can not allow terror or division to sink the ship of state. It is precisely at times like this that NIREC, and indeed, all well-meaning Nigerians must come together to promote peace through collaboration,” he said.

The President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh, called for increased collaboration between faith-based organisations and the government to address the growing insecurity in the country.

Okoh said that Nigeria was facing a critical moment in its national history, with insecurity threatening collective survival and national cohesion. He said that faith institutions remained among the most trusted and far-reaching structures in Nigeria, with immense potential for strengthening security and sustaining peace.

The CAN President called for closer collaboration between government and faith-based organisations, including NIREC, to promote dialogue, mobilise communities, and nurture social harmony.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary of NIREC, Rev. Fr. Cornelius Omonokhua, emphasised the importance of collaboration between religious leaders and government to defeat terrorism and banditry. According to him, every human life is precious to God, and it is imperative for all stakeholders to work together to protect and secure citizens.

Omonokhua prayed for God’s guidance and wisdom for leaders to be able to protect citizens, and for repentant hearts for criminals to be transformed into law-abiding citizens. He also prayed for a change of attitude among Nigerians and the entire human race, from negative to positive values and mental re-engineering.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAqaPAuONdA?si=dRZqWNcPbgCjqwr5

Pastor Chris Oyakhilome's 62nd birthday celebration has taken social media by storm! The Christ Embassy founder made a grand entrance wearing a crown and royal robe, arriving in a chariot at his birthday party in Lagos.

The event drew high-profile guests including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. President Tinubu also sent a congratulatory message praising the pastor's ministry impact.

But the viral videos have divided opinions online - some see it as deserved honor, while others question if it's excessive. What's your take on this celebration?

Tareq1105:
You're wasting your data, you're crying when the head is off.

pdppower:
You can trust Reno and FFK to talk their way out of trouble. More so, the rubber stamp assembly will only do a little shakara......

Burob:
Quite obvious that we do not have true Christians in this country, if we did, why the country jagajaga like this?

“If you are a Christian in Nigeria and you say you are persecuted, my question is: how? At least 80 per cent of educated Nigerians are Christians, and up to 85 per cent of the Nigerian economy is controlled by Christians. With such figures, how can anyone say Christians are being persecuted?”

Sonnobax15:
Bishop wey Dem baptize with dirty water. It seems once they start dining and wining with politicians,they automatically exchange their brains for the mere peanuts thrown at them.

Catholic Bishop of the Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, has denied claims that he said Christians in Nigeria are not facing persecution.

The bishop described the reports as false and said he was surprised that some people were still attributing such a statement to him despite the clarity of his position.

In a statement titled “Of the persecution of Christians in Nigeria: My response,” Kukah explained that media reports misrepresented his comments.

Earlier reports quoted him as questioning the narrative of Christian persecution, allegedly citing the high number of educated Christians and their control of a large part of the economy.

He was quoted as saying, “If you are a Christian in Nigeria and you say you are persecuted, my question is: how? At least 80 per cent of educated Nigerians are Christians, and up to 85 per cent of the Nigerian economy is controlled by Christians. With such figures, how can anyone say Christians are being persecuted?”

Kukah clarified that he was calling for unity among Christians. He stressed that with the resources and influence available to the Christian community, the main challenge is solidarity, not the absence of persecution.

“For over a week, I have been in the news on the basis of multiple claims that I had said that there was no persecution of Christians in Nigeria. The outpouring of emotions is understandable especially against the backdrop of the inviolability of life, the extermination of which must not be undermined by any debates on numbers or intent,” he said.

He expressed gratitude to his colleagues at The Kukah Centre for issuing a statement on his behalf but said personal responsibility required him to clarify his position directly.

“So, for the record, I did not say that Christians are not persecuted in Nigeria! Addressing an audience of the Catholic Knights of St. Mulumba in Kaduna on November 28th, I had spoken about the challenges of bearing witness to Christ in a time of persecution. I drew lessons from history and the stories of brave men and women in Nigeria and Africa as models of witnessing in times such as these,” the bishop stated.

He added that the greatest challenge for Christians is unity and solidarity. “Given the huge human and material resources that we have as Christians in Nigeria, if only we stood together, I argued, we would have no reason to be victims of persecution. Nothing here implied a denial of the fate of Christians,” he said.

Kukah also called on the government and security agencies to hold perpetrators of violence accountable, warning that neglect or failure to act worsens the situation.

“As people, I believe we owe ourselves the collective duty to regain our humanity not as perpetual victims but as equal citizens of our land. Too many innocent souls have been lost, too much blood shed and our children and citizens are in captivity. Amidst the nadir of this pain, it is important that we focus on reclaiming the soul of our nation,” he added.

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese and Convener of the National Peace Committee (NPC), Most Rev. Matthew Kukah, has insisted that there is no persecution of Christians in Nigeria, stressing that genocide is determined not by the number of casualties but by intent.

Bishop Kukah recently came under criticism after being quoted as urging the international community not to designate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” arguing that such a label would heighten tensions, breed suspicion, and allow criminals to exploit the situation—ultimately undermining interfaith dialogue and cooperation with government.

Speaking while presenting a paper at the 46th Supreme Convention of the Knights of St. Mulumba (KSM) in Kaduna, he stated that on the issue of alleged Christian killings in Nigeria, he aligns fully with the Vatican Secretary of State, the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, and all Catholic bishops in the country.

He said: “They are saying that 1,200 churches are burnt in Nigeria every year, and I ask myself—in which Nigeria? Interestingly, nobody approached the Catholic Church to get accurate data. We do not know where these figures came from.

All those talking about persecution—has anyone ever called to ask, ‘Bishop Kukah, what is the situation?’ The data being circulated cleverly avoids the Catholic Church because they know Catholics do not indulge in hearsay.”

Explaining the misuse of the word genocide, he noted: “Genocide is not based on the number of people killed. You can kill 10 million people and it still won’t amount to genocide. The critical determinant is intent—whether the aim is to eliminate a group of people. So, you don’t determine genocide by numbers; you determine it by intention. We need to be more clinical in the issues we discuss.”

He further challenged the narrative of Christian persecution in the country: “If you are a Christian in Nigeria and you say you are persecuted, my question is: how? At least 80% of educated Nigerians are Christians, and up to 85% of the Nigerian economy is controlled by Christians. With such figures, how can anyone say Christians are being persecuted?”

Bishop Kukah attributed many challenges faced by Christians to internal disunity, saying: “The main problem is that Christians succumb to bullies. The day we decide to stand together believing that an injury to one is an injury to all. These things will stop.”

He also criticized loose claims of martyrdom: “Because someone is killed in a church, does that automatically make them a martyr? Whether you are killed while stealing someone’s yam or attacked by bandits, does that qualify as martyrdom? I am worried because we must think more deeply.”

Clarifying misconceptions about his earlier remarks, he added: “People say there is genocide in Nigeria. What I presented at the Vatican was a 1,270-page study on genocide in Nigeria and elsewhere. My argument is that it is not accurate to claim there is genocide or martyrdom in Nigeria.”

Bishop Kukah urged members of the Knights of St. Mulumba to defend the Church through exemplary conduct: “We are no longer talking about wielding swords, but about living as true witnesses.”

missuzoma:
Easy oooo! Barth Nnaji is not Uche Nnaji. Barth is a distinguished professor of robotics and the brain behind Geometric power, the company supplying non-stop electricity at Aba