Prominent Islamic and political leaders in Northern Nigeria have sounded the alarm over the country’s rising insecurity, warning that Nigeria risks descending into chaos if urgent and decisive steps are not taken.
The warning came at a special summit of Northern Ulamas held in Kaduna, where the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, represented by the Emir of Zazzau, Ambassador Ahmad Bamalli, urged Muslim leaders to close ranks and confront the growing misuse of social media and the rising tide of violence.
“This is the time to unite the Muslim Ummah,” the Sultan said. “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, stressed the importance of collaboration between religious leaders and lawmakers in promoting peace and stability.
“Security is everyone’s business,” Doguwa said. “We in the National Assembly will support any initiative that unites our people and upholds Islamic values.”
Also speaking, Senator Abdul’aziz Yari (Zamfara West) cautioned against placing total blame on the government, reminding participants that the roots of the crisis lie within local communities.
“Insecurity started in Muslim-dominated areas. We can’t blame the government alone,” Yari said. “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.”
He further decried the negative impact of misinformation, adding, “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, attributed the persistence of banditry and insecurity to external manipulation and internal disunity.
“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.”
Gumi also called for reforms to address poverty and the misuse of social media, urging that laws against defamation be reviewed without infringing on free speech.
He stressed that the summit’s purpose was not confrontation but national unity, dialogue, and reform.
The summit concluded with a collective resolution to strengthen cooperation among Islamic sects, promote peaceful dialogue, and enhance religious leadership to tackle insecurity, disunity, and economic hardship across Northern Nigeria.
