Hate speech biggest threat to Nigeria peace—Sultan

The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, on Monday called for stronger efforts to tackle hate speech, describing it as one of the greatest threats to peaceful coexistence in Nigeria.

The Sultan made the call while receiving Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations of the Holy See, during a meeting at the NSCIA headquarters in Abuja.

Briefing journalists after the closed-door meeting on behalf of the Sultan, the Deputy Secretary-General of the NSCIA, Prof. Salisu Shehu, said both religious leaders agreed that hate speech had fuelled distrust and strained relationships among different faith communities.

According to him, the meeting focused on strengthening mutual understanding and cooperation between Muslim and Christian communities in promoting peace, peaceful coexistence and improved security in Nigeria and beyond.

He said the participants expressed concern over the increasing trend of individuals insulting respected religious leaders, stressing that such conduct undermines national unity and social harmony.

“There was a strong call for all religious and faith communities to work together to combat hate speech, especially the growing and unfortunate phenomenon whereby some individuals openly insult religious leaders who are highly respected within their various faith communities,” Shehu said.

He added that the meeting also identified fake news as a major challenge capable of triggering conflict and instability, urging Nigerians to collectively resist the spread of false information.

The discussions also centred on what the participants described as growing moral degeneration across the world, with religious leaders urged to play a greater role in promoting ethical values and confronting moral decline.

Shehu further disclosed that the meeting examined the rising rejection of religion among young people, noting that both Muslim and Christian leaders agreed on the need to address the growing trend of atheism through sustained engagement and moral guidance.

Speaking after the meeting, Archbishop Gallagher described his discussions with the Sultan as frank, productive and encouraging.

He said both sides discovered that they shared common positions on the responsibilities of religious leaders in fostering national unity and serving the interests of all Nigerians.

Gallagher expressed optimism that continued collaboration between Muslim and Christian leaders would strengthen religious harmony and contribute to peace and stability across the country.