– Sultan of Sokoto has warned religious leaders to avoid preaching violence and vengeance to their followers
– The sultan said the use of religious places like church and mosque to preach violence is aggravating the crisis in northern region of Nigeria
In what many have assumed is a response to Apostle Johnson Suleman’s video, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ ad Abubakar, has called on religious leaders to stop preaching inciting statements capable of igniting violence among Nigerians.
A few days ago, a video of an angry senior pastor of the Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, Apostle Johnson Suleman, preaching vengeance to his church members emerged.
Stop preaching violence in worship places – Sultan of Sokoto warns pastors and Imams
In the video, Apostle Suleman was seen ordering his church members to deal ruthlessly with any Fulani herdsman whose mission is to attack him or the church.
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Apostle Suleman in his video said: “I have told them in the church here, that any Fulani herdsman that just entered by mistake, Kill him, Kill Him. Cut his head. If they are busy killing Christians and nothing is happening, we will kill them and nothing will happen.”
According to Daily Post, the Sultan who spoke in a meeting with Northern Governors Forum on Monday, January 23, attributed Northern crisis to the hateful messages being preached by religious leaders.
He said inflammatory comments would further divide and polarised the nation, and pointed out that every religion was preaching peace, unity and solidarity among its faithful.
The Sultan said: “We are more worried with the use of places of religious worship to preach hatred, violence and other issues that tend to divide us rather than strengthening our unity as a people created by one God.”
The sultan condemned the insurgent activities parvading the North eastern part of the country, and commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his efforts in curtailing the menace.
Governor Kashim Shettima who was also present at the programme said: “Our core challenges in the North today revolve around intolerance, absence of peaceful coexistence, poverty, illiteracy and lack of unity.”
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Meanwhile, the president of Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Pastor Abraham Akinosun, has cautioned the federal government against supporting one religion against another in relation to the crisis in Kaduna state.
The cleric, who spoke after the inauguration of the (CAC) staff guest house on the campus of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun state on Friday, January 20, condemned the violence in Kaduna.
360naze
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