Insecurity not peculiar to Nigeria – Sultan
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has urged those spreading what he described as negative narratives about insecurity in Sokoto and Nigeria at large to have a rethink, saying security challenges exist in different parts of the world.
The Sultan said although Nigeria was not immune to insecurity, efforts should be directed towards minimising the threat to enable residents to go about their normal activities without hindrance.
He stated this on Monday during the closing ceremony of activities marking his 20th anniversary on the throne and the 13th Sheikh Usmanu Bin Fodio Week in Sokoto.
The event, organised by the Sultanate Council in collaboration with the National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations (NACOMYO), Sokoto State chapter, had the theme: “The Sokoto Caliphate: An Egalitarian Model for Peace, Justice, Unity and Sustainable Development.”
The Sultan, who acknowledged the security challenges facing parts of Sokoto and other states, said insecurity was not peculiar to Nigeria, citing developments in countries such as Iran, the United States, Germany and France.
“We are not immune to insecurity, but what we can do is to minimise insecurity so that people can go about their normal duties without any hindrance,” he said.
The Sultan urged governors to remain committed to delivering good governance, noting that no administration could satisfy everybody regardless of its achievements.
On the significance of his 20-year reign, the Sultan described himself as a soldier of Islam and peace, saying his commitment to promoting peaceful coexistence had remained central to his traditional and religious responsibilities.
“Before I became Sultan here, I was a soldier. I am still a soldier, a soldier of Islam and a soldier of peace because what I spend most of my time doing is bringing peace to communities,” he said.
He stressed that Islam did not promote coercion or the forced conversion of people, urging Muslims to demonstrate the virtues of their religion through good conduct.
The Sultan also cautioned against insults and abusive exchanges, particularly on social media, describing Nigerians as members of one family who should treat one another with dignity and respect.
He said the traditional institution did not regard itself as superior to other members of society, stressing that all human beings were equal before Almighty Allah.
Earlier, the guest lecturer, Dr Dawud Abdallah, Director of the Middle East Monitor (MEMO), London, called for greater recognition of the contributions of African Muslims who were taken into slavery in the Americas.
Delivering a lecture titled “The Religious and Intellectual Traditions of the Sokoto Caliphate: Changing the Condition of Africans in the Diaspora,” Abdallah said historical accounts of slavery had often overlooked the Islamic heritage and intellectual contributions of enslaved Africans.
He argued that Muslim Africans played significant roles in resistance against slavery and struggles for freedom across different parts of the Americas.
In his remarks, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal congratulated the Sultan on his 20th coronation anniversary, describing his reign as a period marked by humility, unity, stability, religious tolerance and national cohesion.
Lawal said the Sultan’s fatherly counsel and interventions had remained valuable to Nigeria, particularly in addressing socioeconomic and security challenges.
The governor called on Islamic scholars, traditional rulers, community leaders and youth organisations to promote peaceful coexistence, discourage extremism and restore values of honesty, compassion and respect for human life.
Similarly, Sokoto State Governor Ahmed Aliyu, represented by his deputy, Idris Mohammed Gobir, congratulated the Sultan on the milestone, describing his contributions to religious tolerance, peaceful coexistence and national development as remarkable.
Aliyu said the anniversary also provided an opportunity to reflect on the intellectual heritage of the Sokoto Caliphate and its relevance to contemporary governance.
