By Sabiu Abdullahi
The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, has warned that rising religious intolerance, hate speech and fake news pose serious threats to Nigeria’s unity and peaceful coexistence.
The Sultan made the remarks on Monday in Abuja through the NSCIA Deputy Secretary-General, Salisu Shehu, after receiving Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations.
He said the meeting centred on strengthening cooperation between Muslim and Catholic leaders, promoting mutual understanding and using dialogue to address insecurity and other national challenges.
“The essence of the visit was to promote mutual understanding and strengthen cooperation across religious communities in advancing peace, peaceful coexistence and improved security, not only in Nigeria but globally,” he said.
The Sultan expressed concern that hate speech has continued to deepen divisions among religious groups. He said the trend has weakened trust and damaged relationships between faith communities. He also condemned the growing practice of insulting respected religious leaders, irrespective of their faith.
“Hate speech has been most injurious to peaceful coexistence in the country. It has created perceptual and relational crises among faith communities,” he said.
He also identified fake news as a major factor behind many of the country’s tensions and conflicts.
“Fake news is another evil that is being used in the country to precipitate a lot of troubles, and therefore this is something that we need to fight.”
According to the Sultan, discussions during the meeting also covered concerns about declining moral values and what he described as the growing rejection of religion among young Muslims and Christians.
He said both delegations agreed that continuous dialogue, mutual respect and stronger collaboration through interfaith platforms remain essential for preserving national unity and addressing divisive narratives.
Gallagher described the meeting as productive and expressed confidence that religious leaders could play an important role in promoting national cohesion.
“We had a very frank and illuminating conversation, and it was good to hear that many of our positions regarding the role of religious leaders, both on the Catholic side and the Muslim side, coincide,” he said.
“For me, this is a reason for optimism regarding the religious cohesion of the country and our shared commitment to working for the good of all Nigerians.”
Gallagher added that Muslim and Christian leaders have a shared responsibility to work together in advancing peace and promoting the welfare of all Nigerians.
