The Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar III, has dismissed claims that Muslims are planning to wipe out Christians in Nigeria, urging Nigerians to stop linking criminal acts to religion.

He made the remarks on Wednesday at a meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) in Abuja.

“No plan to wipe out Christians”

Speaking at the gathering, the Sultan said fears of a religious agenda are unfounded and misleading.

He stressed that Muslims are neither planning nor capable of eliminating Christians from the country.

“We are not in any position whatsoever to remove Christians from Nigeria. No, it is not possible,” he said.

Calls for accurate narrative on insecurity

The Sultan warned against framing insecurity as a religious conflict, insisting that perpetrators of violence should simply be identified as criminals.

“Let us get the narrative right. It is not about religion. Let us call them what they are, criminals, not Muslim criminals, not Muslim terrorists, not Muslim bandits,” he stated.

Dialogue remains key — Sultan

He urged Nigerians to embrace dialogue and mutual understanding as the only sustainable path to peace.

According to him, mistrust between religious groups is often fueled by misinformation and ignorance.

“In NIREC, we believe in dialogue. No matter how bad things are, we believe in dialogue,” he added.

Warning against misuse of religion

The Sultan also cautioned against individuals using religion to justify violence, noting that such actions contradict Islamic teachings.

He emphasised that committing violence in the name of faith does not reflect true religious values.

The comments come amid ongoing debates around insecurity and earlier international claims alleging religious persecution in Nigeria.