Monarch Laments on spate in insecurity.

As the spate of insecurity heightens in the country, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has again raised concern over the situation irrespective of the various intelligence agencies.

On Thursday, he raised the concern as he spoke at the 3rd Quarter 2021 Meeting of the Intra-Religious Council in Abuja. The Sultan expresses worry that the situation has worsened, and he won’t think twice to spill the truth about the nation’s state.

According to him, “Things are not getting better. I have said it and will say it again and again until we see that yes; things are getting better.”
He added that the situation has gotten to the level where the “unknown gunmen” raid homes and kill people mercilessly.

Abubakar added that the bandits should have been uncovered with the number of intelligence agencies in the nation.

He, however, lauded security operatives for their contributions, adding that the nation needs “proactive intelligence agencies that will think ahead of anybody, any criminal trying to do something cynical and disrupt the peace”.

The ex-military man noted that good intelligence gathering would help security operatives uncover the bandits.
He said it’s high time Nigeria sit up to tackle the menace and not allow unknown shooters to threaten the nation.

He called on the military and the police not to spare any religious leader that comes out to the “public domain to say so many nasty and bad things that would raise tensions higher”.

Abubakar also charged his fellow monarchs and religious leaders, saying, “We must always tell the truth even if it is against our families or us.
“We shouldn’t be scared of telling the truth to authorities and that is what we must continue to do”.

He noted that if religious leaders tell the truth, they will sit at home in peace. The Monarch further urged security agencies to “invite religious leaders who incite violence and interrogate them appropriately.

“All these people calling for such activities must be identified, and our security agencies must take up their game and take action against them.
“Whether it is a religious leader, ethnic leader or traditional leader, he must be made to face the law, because there is nobody who is above the law,” Sa’ad Abubakar added.

The Monarch stressed that if this is done, it will curb the security challenges facing Nigeria. He said for peace to reign; there must be peaceful dialogue.

“We must be honest with ourselves, we cannot come to the council and agree then go back to our various comfort zones and start preaching hatred, and that’s what is happening every day.
“A lot of hate speeches by religious leaders… we are supposed to be very diplomatic.

“I cannot imagine using religion to shed people’s blood,” the Monarch said.