By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo
Leading Islamic scholars and political leaders in Northern Nigeria have raised concerns over the worsening insecurity across the country, warning that Nigeria risks descending into chaos unless decisive action is taken.
Speaking at a special summit of Northern Ulamas in Kaduna, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, represented by the Emir of Zazzau, Amb. Ahmad Bamalli, said it was time for Muslim leaders to unite and address the growing misuse of social media and the rising insecurity threatening national peace.
The Sultan said. “This is the time to unite the Muslim Ummah. Our clerics must preach peace, tolerance, and national unity in line with Islamic teachings. Social media must also be regulated because it is increasingly being used to spread division and hatred.”
The leader of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Doguwa, emphasised the need for closer collaboration between religious leaders and lawmakers to promote peace and good governance.“Security is everyone’s business,” Doguwa said. “We in the National Assembly will support any initiative that unites our people and upholds Islamic values.”
Senator Abdul’aziz Yari (Zamfara West) cautioned against placing all the blame for insecurity on the government, noting that the crisis began in Muslim-dominated communities before spreading across the country. He said “Insecurity started in Muslim-dominated areas. We can’t blame the government alone.
The solution lies in our hands — in unity, action, and honest dialogue. We’re sleeping in our rooms and expecting to become billionaires. It doesn’t work that way. We must face economic realities.”
On the spread of fake news and hate speech, Yari said: “Social media doesn’t spare anyone — rich or poor. We are all victims of its abuse. It’s time to regulate it and use it responsibly, as other nations do.”
Prominent Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Gumi, called for dialogue among Islamic sects to address poverty and banditry, which he said were being exploited.
by external forces.
“Banditry is being fuelled by outsiders who covet our mineral wealth,” Gumi warned. “They use uneducated herders as pawns in a larger game. We must talk among ourselves and end it internally.”
He also advocated a review of laws on social media defamation without stifling free expression, stressing that the summit’s goal was national unity and reform, not confrontation.
The summit ended with a collective resolution to strengthen inter-sect cooperation, promote peaceful dialogue, and enhance religious leadership to tackle insecurity, disunity, and economic hardship across Northern Nigeria.
