The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has challenged individuals, organisations or government to provide evidence of genocide against any ethnicity or religious group in the country.
Speaking in Birnin Kebbi at the opening ceremony of the Northern Traditional Rulers Assembly Meeting (Kebbi 2025), the Sultan challenged anyone making such allegations to present concrete evidence.
“There is no way someone, whether a Muslim or a Christian, can be killed without the knowledge of the traditional rulers of the community where such a person belongs,” he said.
“I challenge anyone, either within the country or abroad, to provide evidence of any genocide in Nigeria — where, who, and how it happened?” he added.
The Sultan cautioned Nigerians against believing everything circulated on social media, warning that much of the information shared online is false or misleading.
“Most of the information posted on social media is not true. People must verify such information before accepting it as fact,” he stated.
He urged the Federal Government to take swift steps to regulate social media use in the country, noting that the spread of fake news poses a significant danger to peace and unity.
Speaking on the purpose of the traditional rulers’ meeting, the Sultan said the gathering aimed to strengthen community collaboration and devise new strategies to combat insecurity across Northern Nigeria.
He also commended Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris for hosting the assembly and expressed appreciation to the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, for attending the event despite his demanding schedule.
The Sultan concluded by calling on Nigerians to pray for national leaders and to remain steadfast in promoting unity, peace, and stability throughout the country.
