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Sultan to Nigerians: stop blame game, unite against terrorists, other criminals

Published

4 years ago

December 10, 2021

Sultan of Sokoto Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III

• CAN boss tasks security agencies to learn from US

Sultan of Sokoto Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III yesterday advised Nigerians to desist from the blame game and unite against terrorists, bandits, and other criminal elements in the country.

Alhaji Abubakar, who lamented the rising insecurity in the country urged Muslims to stop accusing Christians of promoting killings in the North.

He also called on Christians to disregard the recent threat by unknown persons to kill anyone found in churches in Zamfara State.

At the fourth quarterly meeting of Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) in Abuja where the Sultan spoke, Christian Association of Nigeria President Samson Ayokunle urged security agencies to learn from the United States, strategies for tackling insecurity.

The meeting with the theme: ”NIREC, security agencies and peace in Nigeria” was also attended by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha and a former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Martin Luther Agwai.

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The monarch expressed displeasure over the killings and kidnappings in the country and enjoined Muslims, Christians, and adherents of other religions to stop the blame game.

He said: “The blame game has to stop so that we can work in unity to overcome” those he described as “our common enemies. If I continue talking about the insecurity in the North, we will not leave this room. A few days ago, we read media reports on how people were killed in a bus in Sokoto. There is no single day that passes without people being killed in the North especially in the Northwest.

“When I saw a note that the bandits are threatening Christians in Zamfara, I asked what is the work of our security agencies?

“I will not stop going to the mosque to pray because I saw in a paper that if I go to the mosque I will be killed, let me be killed, I must die, so Christians should not be afraid of going to church to worship because an anonymous person is threatening them.”

The Sultan said since Nigeria has many challenges, it “behoves on leaders to wake up and come together to understand and tackle them.”

The Sultan added: ”Let’s not deceive ourselves, everything is not alright. I have said this so many times. Knowing that you have a problem makes it easy for you to solve it. The earlier we rise up to the occasion together, the better for us,”

He charged religious leaders to be wary of the kind of things they say to their followers who believe that they rely on the Bible and Koran.

While advocating dialogue to address some of the challenges in the country, Sultan Abubakar said the elite are the major problems of the nation.

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“I believe dialogue is the best option. We must come up with possible solutions to our problems. The elite are the problems of this country because they always want things to go our way,” he added.

Rev. Ayokunle recalled the way and manner the US rescued its abducted citizen in Nigeria from Boko Haram and advised security agencies to learn from that operation.

He wondered why persons would be kidnapped and the security could not trace them and their abductors through intelligence.

The CAN boss said he was particularly worried that Nigerian roads “have become a den of kidnappers and a no-go-area for travellers”

He said:”Travelling from one point to another by road, in particular, has become a very great risk, kidnappers are everywhere and they don’t only come out to kidnap but also to kill, so you don’t know who the next victim is going to be.

“Why should these people be killing and hiding people in our territory without being challenged, why should it be easy for them to hide people somewhere within the state and the security agencies in the state within a few days or weeks will not be able to fish them out?”

Ayokunle, therefore, called for an increase in intelligence gathering, and on the public to volunteer information to the security agencies.

The Nation

Related Topics:criminals Featured Nigerians Sultan Terrorists

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Aisha Muhammed Oyebode and late General Murtala Ramat Muhammed

First Daughter of Murtala Muhammed Reflects on Life Without Father, Preserving His Legacy

Aisha Muhammed Oyebode, the first daughter of late General Murtala Ramat Muhammed, has opened up about the challenges of growing up without her father, the late military head of state assassinated on February 13, 1976, and her ongoing work in philanthropy, governance, and education.

In an exclusive interview, Aisha, who is a lawyer, entrepreneur, author, activist, and philanthropist, described losing her father at age 12 as a profoundly harrowing experience. She recalled the “silence of absence” and the “noise of expectation” that followed his death, explaining that she had to grow up quickly while navigating the pressures of public scrutiny and preserving her father’s legacy.

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Aisha also highlighted the stabilizing role of her mother, Ajoke Muhammed, who raised six children after the assassination, instilling discipline, resilience, and a focus on education.

Currently, Aisha is the Group CEO of Asset Management Group Limited and the CEO of the Murtala Muhammed Foundation (MMF), where she champions girls’ education and youth empowerment. She noted that, particularly in northern Nigeria, female primary net attendance rates are as low as 47.3–47.7%, with young women’s illiteracy reaching 70.8%.

“From our experience, the solution to girls’ education must be holistic — removing economic barriers, ensuring safety, fostering community ownership, and making education relevant to livelihoods,” she said.

She emphasized that educating girls stabilizes families and strengthens the nation, adding that the MMF Foundation has been instrumental in providing scholarships, school feeding programs, and community initiatives to enhance female education.

Reflecting on her father’s legacy, Aisha described him as a man of humility, vision, and principle, whose simple resting place in Kano reflects a life devoted to duty rather than display. She and her siblings have committed to refurbishing his grave and that of their brother Zack while carrying forward his vision through their work.

“A grave does not hold a legacy — people do. The real monument to his memory is in how we choose to live, and the kind of Nigeria we are willing to build,” she said.

Aisha’s reflections combine personal remembrance, national history, and advocacy, highlighting the enduring influence of Murtala Muhammed on his family and the nation, while underscoring the importance of education, integrity, and principled leadership in Nigeria today.

First Daughter of Murtala Muhammed Reflects on Life Without Father, Preserving His Legacy

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Anambra Police Arrest Motel Owner, Two Others Over Firearms, Drug Trafficking

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Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga

Anambra Police Arrest Motel Owner, Two Others Over Firearms, Drug Trafficking

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Ikenga noted that Ibeabuchi confessed to the offenses during initial investigations, which helped law enforcement track and arrest the two other suspects.

“The Command reiterates its commitment to sustaining ongoing operations against criminal elements in the state and urges members of the public to continue providing useful information to aid policing efforts. Further developments will be communicated as the investigation progresses,” the spokesperson said.

The Anambra State Police Command has vowed to continue targeted operations against firearms and drug-related crimes, reinforcing efforts to enhance public safety in the state.

Anambra Police Arrest Motel Owner, Two Others Over Firearms, Drug Trafficking

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2 Nigerians Killed While Fighting for Russian Army in Ukraine War

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51 minutes ago

February 13, 2026

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Hamzat Kazeen Kolawole and Mbah Stephen Udoka

2 Nigerians Killed While Fighting for Russian Army in Ukraine War

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The deceased, Hamzat Kazeen Kolawole, 42, and Mbah Stephen Udoka, 38, were reportedly attached to the 423rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment of the 4th Guards Kantemirovskaya Tank Division, according to Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence. Their bodies were discovered in late November 2025, highlighting the growing risks faced by foreign nationals recruited into Russia’s military operations.

Kolawole and Udoka reportedly signed contracts with the Russian army in the second half of 2025 — Kolawole on August 29 and Udoka on September 28. Udoka received no formal military training and was sent to the front just five days after enlistment on October 3. Kolawole also appears to have been deployed with minimal preparation, raising concerns over the treatment of foreign recruits.

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The men were killed in a drone strike while attempting to storm Ukrainian positions, and Ukrainian authorities reported that they did not engage in conventional combat before their deaths. Kolawole is survived by a wife and three children in Nigeria.

Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence has used the incident to caution foreign nationals against travelling to Russia for employment, warning that recruits may be sent into dangerous combat units with little or no training. The deaths come amid increased recruitment of foreign fighters from Africa into Russian forces, sparking concern among human rights and foreign policy observers.

This development highlights the risks associated with participation in the Ukraine conflict as a foreign mercenary and underscores the humanitarian and security issues arising from the recruitment of untrained personnel into active combat zones.