Sultan and other Muslim leaders warn that unchecked online behaviour and growing insecurity threaten national peace and unity

By Sadiq Abdulfatah

Top Islamic leaders and lawmakers in Northern Nigeria have raised fresh concerns over rising insecurity and the growing misuse of social media, warning that the nation risks sliding into chaos if decisive action is not taken.

Speaking at a special summit of Northern Ulamas in Kaduna, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, represented by the Emir of Zazzau, Amb. Ahmad Nuhu Bamalli called for urgent regulation of social media, which he said is being used to spread division and hatred.

“This is the time to unite the Muslim Ummah,” the Sultan urged. “Our clerics must preach peace, tolerance, and national unity in line with Islamic teachings.”

House Leader, Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa, who also addressed the summit, called for stronger collaboration between Islamic leaders and lawmakers to shape policies that promote peace and good governance.

“Security is everyone’s business,” Doguwa said. “We in the National Assembly will support any initiative that unites our people and upholds Islamic values.”

Senator Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara West) echoed similar concerns, noting that insecurity has deep roots in the North, especially in mineral-rich communities.

“Insecurity started in Muslim-dominated areas,” Yari said. “We can’t blame the government alone. The solution lies in our hands — in unity, action, and honest dialogue.”

He warned against the region’s worsening economic gap, saying: “We’re sleeping in our rooms and expecting to become billionaires. It doesn’t work that way. We must address economic realities.”

On the issue of social media, Yari was blunt, “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, like other nations do.”

Prominent cleric, Sheik Ahmad Abubakar Gumi, called for dialogue among Islamic sects to tackle poverty and banditry, which he said are being exploited by external forces.

“Banditry is being fueled 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.”

He urged a review of existing laws to curb social media defamation without stifling freedom of expression. “This summit is not against anyone,” he said, “but about the unity and progress of Nigeria.”

The summit ended with a collective call for inter-sect cooperation, peaceful dialogue, and stronger religious leadership to address insecurity, disunity, and economic hardship across the North.

Source: The Nation