Musa Na Allah, Sokoto
The Sokoto State Hisbah Board has strongly rejected allegations that it is imposing restrictions on Christian worship in the state, describing the claims as false, misleading and capable of undermining religious harmony.
The denial followed social media publications attributed to a blogger identified as @radical.okoja.bia and others, alleging that the Board had introduced measures restricting the conduct of Christian worship and interactions within churches.
In a statement issued on Saturday in Sokoto, the Commandant of the Board, Dr. Usman Abdullahi Jatau, said the allegations were completely inconsistent with the mandate and operations of the Hisbah Board.
Jatau said the Board considered it necessary to respond because allowing what he described as factual distortions to go unchallenged could create unnecessary tension and damage the peaceful relationship between religious communities in the state.
He specifically dismissed claims that the Board had prohibited mixed gatherings of men and women in churches or directed Christian congregations to conduct worship services separately according to gender.
The Commandant also rejected the allegation that pastors were prohibited from sitting with their wives during church services, stressing that such claims had no connection whatsoever with the responsibilities assigned to the Hisbah Board.
Another claim being circulated suggested an alleged plan to Islamise Nigeria, beginning with Sokoto State and extending to Plateau, the South-West, South-East and South-South regions.
Jatau described the narrative as a fictitious interpretation of the Board’s activities, insisting that the Hisbah agency had neither such an agenda nor the constitutional or statutory responsibility to regulate the religious practices of Christians.
He explained that the law establishing the Sokoto State Hisbah Board, enacted by the Sokoto State House of Assembly, applies specifically to Muslims and does not regulate Christian worship or the religious practices of adherents of other faiths.
According to him, the Board’s mandate should therefore not be deliberately misrepresented as an instrument for imposing religious practices on people outside its jurisdiction.
“Our response is not intended to please or offend anybody, but to correct factual inaccuracies, challenge unsupported assertions, and distinguish facts from malicious and fictitious misinterpretations,” Jatau said.
He further cautioned against dragging the Hisbah Board into political campaigns and narratives, particularly claims concerning the political fortunes or misfortunes of political parties and individuals.
“The blogger should continue his campaign for whichever party he is working for, but should not link the Sokoto State Hisbah Board with his assertions on the political fortune or misfortune of the country,” the Commandant said.
The Board urged members of the public to disregard the allegations and avoid spreading unverified information capable of inflaming religious sentiments, while calling on all communities in Sokoto and across Nigeria to promote peace, mutual respect, unity and responsible use of social media.
