Sultan to religious leaders: Don’t shield corrupt people

By Luminous Jannamike

ABUJA — The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, has charged religious leaders to ensure that nobody escapes the law because of religious, family or personal connections, saying even those close to them must face justice if involved in corruption.

He said religious leaders must resist the temptation to protect offenders because they are pastors, imams, relatives or friends, insisting that corruption could not be justified by religious affiliation or good deeds performed with illicit wealth.

Speaking at the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, NIREC, meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, the Sultan said religious leaders had a duty to support the fight against corruption and allow law-enforcement agencies to do their work without interference.

“Whoever is involved, even our brothers, our sisters, our fathers, our friends, those involved, should face the law,” he said.

The Sultan was particularly blunt about religious leaders who might seek protection for alleged offenders.

“Don’t tell me he is the pastor of ‘so so’ and ‘so so’ church, he is the chief monk of ‘so so’ and ‘so so’ National Mosque. We don’t want to hear that. Let the EFCC hairman go after that person, whoever it is, and deal with him according to the law,” he said.

He also rejected the idea that corrupt money could be cleansed by using it for religious purposes.

“You cannot steal money and then send people to Jerusalem and Mecca with corrupt money, and then you think God will accept your deeds. No,” the Sultan said.

He urged Christians and Muslims to move beyond merely tolerating one another, arguing that genuine understanding was necessary for meaningful cooperation.

“But if you understand me, you can work with me, I can work with you, because we know who we are to each other,” he said.

The Sultan described NIREC as a unique Nigerian platform where Christians and Muslims periodically come together to discuss issues affecting the country, urging religious leaders to speak openly about national problems instead of returning to their communities to spread false rumours.

He also commended the outgoing NIREC Secretary, Professor Cornelius Omonokhua, for his eight years of service, particularly his introduction of public webinars, which he said had opened a platform for Nigerians to engage the council.

The Sultan urged Omonokhua to remain available as a resource person, saying his contribution to NIREC was indelible.

On political leadership, he called on religious leaders to encourage Nigerians to pray for the President, governors and members of the National Assembly, regardless of their personal assessment of the leaders.

“No matter how bad you think they are, continue to pray. That prayer will make God touch their lives and then they will change,” he said.

Earlier, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator George Akume, conveyed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s appreciation to NIREC for its commitment to peace, harmony and stability, while urging religious and traditional leaders to help counter forces capable of deepening religious and ethnic divisions.

Akume said government was intensifying operations against banditry, kidnapping, communal clashes and terrorism, while strengthening intelligence gathering, rapid response and protection of soft targets, including churches, mosques, schools and markets.

He also urged religious leaders to keep politics away from places of worship during electioneering, saying NIREC would convene state-level forums before the end of 2026 with police commands, INEC officials and religious representatives to identify potential flashpoints.

On his part, the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, said corruption was not only a legal problem but a moral challenge because its consequences extend to hospitals, schools, roads, pensions and opportunities for ordinary Nigerians.

Olukoyede said the EFCC had developed an Inter-Faith Manual to help pastors and imams teach anti-corruption messages to their followers, stressing that financial crime had no religion or tribe.

He challenged religious communities to examine the values they promote, particularly where unexplained wealth attracts honour without sufficient concern for its source.

“No faith community should provide moral shelter for corruption simply because the alleged offender belongs to that community,” Olukoyede said.

Also speaking on the theme, “Shared Sacred Flourishing in Nigeria,’ CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, said interfaith relations must move beyond managing religious differences to practical cooperation for the common good.

Archbishop Okoh said Christians and Muslims could work together in peacebuilding, education, youth development, humanitarian assistance, poverty reduction, ethical leadership, environmental responsibility and the protection of vulnerable people.

He said the suffering of Nigerians should concern both faith communities regardless of religious affiliation.

“When any Nigerian is killed, displaced, kidnapped or deprived of dignity, our common humanity demands that we care,” the CAN President said.

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