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Sultan Warns Politicians Against Using Stolen Funds for Hajj, Jerusalem Pilgrimages
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has cautioned politicians and public office holders against using stolen or corruptly obtained public funds to sponsor pilgrimages to the holy lands of Mecca and Jerusalem.
The Sultan gave the warning on Wednesday in Abuja while speaking at the opening ceremony of a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC).
Speaking to Christian and Muslim leaders, government officials, security representatives and other participants at the meeting, the Sultan stressed that religious leaders have an important role to play in the fight against corruption and the promotion of moral values in society.
He maintained that corruption should not be given religious justification, warning that public officials cannot divert public resources and subsequently use such funds to sponsor religious activities while expecting spiritual acceptance.
The Sultan said religious leaders must become active partners in efforts to tackle corruption and should work closely with relevant anti-corruption institutions.
Sultan: Religious Leaders Must Fight Corruption
According to the Sultan, religious leaders have a responsibility to speak against corruption because of its damaging effects on society and governance.
He stressed that the sanctity of religious activities should not be used to shield individuals who have obtained wealth through corrupt means.
The Sultan specifically referenced pilgrimage to Mecca and Jerusalem, saying stolen public funds should not be used to sponsor people for religious journeys.
He said God does not accept corruption and urged religious leaders to consistently reinforce the message against corrupt practices from their various religious platforms.
Sultan Backs EFCC Action Against Corrupt Individuals
The Sultan also called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to deal firmly with individuals found to have engaged in corrupt practices, irrespective of their political, religious or social affiliations.
He said religious identity or status should not be used as a shield against accountability when an individual is required to face the law.
The Sultan urged religious leaders and members of the public not to interfere with lawful investigations or prosecution simply because the person involved is a pastor, imam, relative, friend or prominent member of a religious community.
He also called on the EFCC to carry out its responsibilities without political interference, stressing the need for institutions responsible for fighting corruption to operate according to the law.
Sultan Calls for Stronger Christian-Muslim Understanding
The Sultan further highlighted the importance of NIREC as a platform for promoting dialogue and understanding between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria.
He said regular engagement between the two major religious communities remains essential to maintaining peace, stability and national development.
Rather than merely tolerating one another, the Sultan urged Christians and Muslims to pursue genuine mutual understanding.
He explained that tolerance alone could mean enduring differences without necessarily understanding the other person, while genuine understanding could create room for cooperation and peaceful coexistence.
The Sultan said Nigerians would be better positioned to work together when they understand their differences, responsibilities and common interests.
Clerics Warned Against Incendiary Political Statements
The Sultan also urged religious leaders to exercise caution in their public utterances, particularly from the pulpit and other religious platforms during election periods.
He advised clerics to avoid using religious platforms to attack public office holders, incite division or deepen political tensions.
Instead, he encouraged religious leaders to pray for national leaders and promote messages capable of strengthening peace, unity and responsible citizenship.
The call comes against the backdrop of the important role religious institutions and their leaders play in shaping public opinion and influencing communities across Nigeria.
Sultan Commends Outgoing NIREC Executive Secretary
The Sultan paid tribute to the outgoing Executive Secretary of NIREC, Prof. Cornelius Omonokhua, commending his eight-year tenure and contributions to the development of the council.
He described the period as one in which NIREC was transformed into a more vibrant platform for national dialogue and inter-religious engagement.
The Sultan urged participants at the stakeholders’ meeting to engage openly on national issues and contribute ideas capable of addressing challenges confronting the country.
He also cautioned participants against spreading rumours after returning to their respective communities, urging them to communicate responsibly and promote peace.
Anti-Corruption Manuals Target Religious Platforms
An overview of the Interfaith Anti-Corruption Manuals Project was presented by Prof. Adedibu Ojerinde, Chairman of the Interfaith Anti-Corruption Advisory Committee (IAAC).
Ojerinde described the manuals as a joint strategic initiative involving the EFCC and Nigeria’s religious leadership, designed to address corruption and the wider moral challenges confronting the country.
According to him, the initiative emerged from the outcome of the 2007 National Interfaith Forum on Corruption and seeks to mobilise religious platforms, including the pulpit and minbar, in the campaign for improved public morality.
He said the preaching manuals are anchored in biblical and Qur’anic texts and are designed to provide religious leaders with materials for addressing corruption and related social challenges.
Ojerinde explained that the manuals, originally inaugurated in 2014 and re-inaugurated in January 2024 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, were expanded to address contemporary issues.
These include challenges affecting young people, cybercrime and vulnerabilities relating to money laundering within religious institutions.
NIREC Receives Anti-Corruption Manuals
Ojerinde said the formal handover of the anti-corruption manuals to NIREC represented an important transition from the production of the materials to their practical implementation.
He called on religious leaders to incorporate anti-corruption messages into regular religious teachings, including Friday sermons and Sunday messages.
The objective, he said, is to ensure that the fight against corruption is not limited to government institutions but also becomes part of moral and religious education within communities.
The stakeholders’ meeting brought together Christian and Muslim leaders, government officials, security representatives and members of the media.
The meeting provided a platform for participants to discuss corruption, interfaith relations, national unity, responsible religious leadership and the role of faith communities in promoting peace and good governance.
The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, rtd, has proposed that every Nigerian citizen should undergo military training.
Musa made the call while speaking on the African Leadership Podcast with Ken Giami, stating that the experience of hunger, exhaustion and physical strain that comes with military training gives people a perspective on life they cannot get anywhere else.
He was explaining why he believes ordinary citizens should have a better understanding of the work carried out by members of the Armed Forces.
According to him, the experience would give Nigerians a different perspective about life and the responsibilities associated with protecting the country.
The former Chief of Defence Staff noted that citizens who go through such training would understand what it means to continue moving even when physically exhausted, hungry or deprived of normal comfort.
“Every Nigerian should be able to go through military training. I can tell you for free, it will give you a different perspective about life. You will now understand what it means to stay hungry, what it means to walk in days without sleep.
“It will show you what endurance means, when you walk kilometers and you are tired but you still need to keep on going. You have not eaten, you have not taken one because of the nature of the thing and because you are doing it to protect.
“Just like what the Bible says that there’s no greater friend than he who will give his life for his friend.
“And that’s exactly what the military men are doing, putting their lives at stake for their country to move around. And so that’s why sometimes it’s very painful when you see people insulting the military and telling them they don’t need it or we don’t want this to end. Nobody’s dying now, and they don’t want it to end,” he said.
Fuji legend, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (K1) has successfully settled the long-standing rift between the National President of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Mr Musiliu Akinsanya (MC Oluomo), and the chairman of the union in Lagos State, Mr Mustapha Adekunle (Tafa Seego).
The reconciliation took place at K1’s Ojusagbola residence in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State and it was witnessed by other top union leaders.
It is said to be a final truce and not just ‘another handshake for the cameras’
K1 intervened and took steps to end the supremacy battle in his traditional capacity as the Mayegun of Yorubaland.
Recall that the supremacy battle had led to violence at a 2019 Lagos political rally with MC Oluomo getting stabbed and taken to hospital. The police had later declared Sego wanted over the incident
K1 commented on this in an Instagram post on Tuesday while also making photographs taken during the meeting available.
‘After years of an age-long rift, MC Oluomo and Tafa Sego have finally settled their differences. And from what we know now, this is final.
This time, it was not just another handshake for the cameras. The two old friends and colleagues came together at Ojusagbola, with King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (K1) playing the peacemaker.
K1 acted in his role as the Mayegun of Yorubaland by seeking an end to the long-standing rift, once and for all.
Both parties are delighted about the new development’ he wrote.
News
Canadian government warns its citizens against buying alcohol in Nigeria after 48 people died in Ondo
Canadian authorities have warned citizens in Nigeria to exercise caution when consuming alc%hol following reports of de@ths and hospitalisations linked to suspected meth@nol-contaminated drinks in Ondo State.
In a safety notice issued on Tuesday, Canadian officials said, “Casualties have occurred in Nigeria due to the consumption of unregulated and adulterated alco%hol containing high levels of meth@nol. Buy alc%hol from reputable establishments and seek medical assistance if you begin to feel sick.”
The notice did not state the number of casualties. However, Nigerian health officials said last week that 48 people had d+ed while about 180 others were receiving treatment in Ondo State after consuming a locally brewed alc%holic beverage suspected to contain methanol.
Meth@nol is a highly toxic substance that can cause multiple organ failure, breathing difficulties, blindness and brain d@mage. A survivor, 32-year-old Sola Adebayo, told TVC News from his hospital bed, “I took like two shots and I went out on Friday. On Saturday, I noticed that I could not see.”
Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Banji Ajaka, said the effects could occur rapidly, noting, “This thing happened rapidly. Once they consume it, depending on the quantity, the kidneys will pack up, the eyes will go, the brain will be damaged.”
Police said 15 people had been arrested in connection with the suspected t%xic drink, while locals reportedly suspected that a popular herbal alcoholic drink known as “Monkey Tail” was mixed with meth@nol.
The report noted that homemade alc%hol is common in some rural parts of Nigeria, where it is cheaper and less regulated. NAFDAC has also enforced a nationwide ban on alc%hol sold in sachets and small plastic containers.
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Defence Minister proposes compulsory military training for Nigerians
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