Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar; the Sultan of Sokoto has clarified that Sharia law is only binding on Muslims and should never be forced on Christians or anyone who does not follow Islam.
He said this on Wednesday during 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.”
The Sultan explained that Nigeria practices multiple religions and that the country has never chosen Islam or Christianity as an official state faith. According to him, the government supports both major religions fairly.
He emphasized that no Christian should be required to follow Islamic practices such as dressing like Muslims or praying like Muslims. The Sultan insisted that Sharia is “purely 100 per cent for Muslims,” and that it will never be applied to non-Muslims.
Responding to people calling for Sharia to be abolished, he reminded them that Nigeria gives freedom to every religion and warned against twisting the meaning of religious freedom in the country.
In his contribution, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, said stronger cooperation between NIREC and the Federal Government is important for peace and for tackling the growing insecurity in the country. He noted that some extremists continue to misuse religion to create tension.
Abbas said, “This gathering is symbolic and comes at a time when violent extremists are sowing discord. It signifies the need for synergy between NIREC and the government.”
He added that, “We must challenge stereotypes and show that the negative narrative on inter-religious relations, especially the story of genocide against members of a particular religion, is false and misleading.”
The Speaker promised that lawmakers would support any practical peace initiatives that come out of the meeting.
On his part, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, said Nigeria is dealing with serious security problems made worse by political statements and declining trust among citizens. He warned that foreign influence and misleading stories about the country’s situation must be taken seriously.
According to him, “Our independence and sovereignty are non-negotiable. We cannot allow terror or division to sink the ship of state.”
He urged religious leaders, traditional rulers, and community influencers to work together and push for peace across the country.
The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh, also spoke at the event. He said Nigeria is going through a very sensitive period, with insecurity threatening the unity of the country. He reminded the gathering that faith-based organisations remain some of the most trusted institutions and can play a big role in promoting peace.
“Faith institutions have immense potential for strengthening security and sustaining peace,” Okoh said.
He called for deeper cooperation between the government and religious bodies like NIREC so that they can build dialogue, mobilise communities, and strengthen harmony.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of NIREC, Rev. Fr. Cornelius Omonokhua, appealed to religious leaders to stand with the government in fighting terrorism and banditry. He reminded everyone present that “every human life is precious to God” and encouraged joint efforts to safeguard the lives of all citizens.
He prayed for God to give leaders wisdom, change the hearts of criminals, and guide the nation toward better values and renewed thinking.
