The Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has raised concerns over the resurgence of insurgency and banditry in some parts of the country after the 2023 general elections.
Speaking as co-chair at the second quarterly meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) with the theme “media and effective nation building” on Thursday in Abuja, the Sultan insisted that the killings were not related to religion.
He said: “Unfortunately, the resurgence of insecurity in the country is very alarming. Throughout the campaigns and the elections, we never had these cases of insecurity. Suddenly after the elections, the killings continued across Niger, Plateau, Kaduna and other places. These killings are definitely not related to religion, but the activities of some set of uninformed people.
“Imagine a situation where bandits would invade a community, kill people and destroy their properties, with little or no resistance from the security officials. Only for the security officials to appear long after the attacks and perhaps, to mock the people or look at the ashes of destroyed items.
“Few days ago, it was reported that some United States Embassy staff were killed and burnt in Anambra state. That’s barbaric and shouldn’t have happened because there’s not justification for that.”
Speaking further, the Sultan who accused the Nigerian media of playing both negative and positive roles during the elections, said as critical stakeholders in nation building, the involvement of media in all activities and programmes of government was crucial.
“Take a look at what’s happening across the countries of the world where the media compromise in quality, facts and truth. it’s unfortunate that Sudan is passing through war and the role of the media is crucial in ending or prolonging the war.
“The media played a different role in the 2023 elections. The media will also play a crucial role in the coming administration. So, we expect to hear from the media professionals on their challenges and expectations and pass the message to the incoming government.”
President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh who also spoke as co-chair of NIREC, urged the media to pay more attention to understanding the dynamics of Nigeria, as they have both the power and platform to cause and end crisis as a result of the information they handle.
While challenging media professionals to see their jobs as a calling and not a profession that guarantees access to riches and fame, the CAN president stated that there was need to foster unity and a better working relationship between the media and those in leadership in the interest of Nigeria.
He said: “The media can help to enrich the conversation of leaders by providing well investigated and research stories to improve the religious literacy of the leaders, which simply means having basic knowledge of other religions and engender respect for other religions.
Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha while noting that the blueprint and terms of reference of NIREC provide the space and capacity that could help Nigeria attain a national renaissance and peaceful coexistence, by providing leadership for religious institutions in the country to help the citizenry tow a harmonious and peaceful path through their teachings.
“If God entrusted the deliverance of Nigeria into the hands of Christians and Muslims, then failure to entrench peace in the nation would be akin to failing God.
“I pray that God should continue to guide the leadership of NIREC with a united mission and sincerity of purpose to achieve the mandate for which it was established.”
The SGF urged media practitioners to focus on carrying out effective and investigative reportage that would promote peace and unity among and between members of the various religious and ethnic groups in the country.
The highlight of the quarterly meeting was the presentation of an award to the SGF for his unwavering support to the activities of NIREC.
