President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on Nigerians to embrace unity, religious tolerance, and peaceful coexistence as critical pillars for national security and development.
The President made this call on Monday at the 4th
International Conference of the Centre for Islamic Civilisation and Interfaith
Dialogue at Bayero University, Kano.
President Tinubu was represented at the event by the
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
He commended the Centre for Islamic Civilisation and
Interfaith Dialogue and the Sultan Bello Mosque, Kaduna, for sustaining
dialogue that promotes peace and national cohesion.
“This conference continues to uphold the ideals of our
nation’s peace and unity through dialogue. I am honoured by this invitation,”
the President said.
He described the conference’s focus on the legacy of the
late Sheikh Mahmud Abubakar Gummi as timely and instructive, noting that the
renowned Islamic scholar played a significant role in promoting national unity
during critical moments in Nigeria’s history.
“Sheikh Gummi understood the intersection of faith and
politics and worked closely with authorities after independence and the civil
war to promote oneness and peaceful coexistence,” he said.
The President described Sheikh Gummi as a distinguished
scholar, reformer, and national figure whose influence extended beyond
religious circles. “He was a teacher, a reformer, an advisor, and a prodigious
writer. He mentored generations to believe in the indivisibility of Nigeria, in
work and in worship,” President Tinubu stated.
Addressing current national challenges, the President urged
Nigerians to reject narratives that portray the country as intolerant of
religious freedom. “We must strengthen our resolve for a more united country.
Recent attempts to misrepresent Nigeria as a nation that undermines religious
freedom must be firmly resisted,” he said.
President Tinubu stressed that national security is closely
linked to unity and mutual respect among citizens. “Our national security is
tied to our unity, our togetherness, and our respect for religious diversity.
We must forge a united front against those who seek to divide us,” he said.
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to protecting
lives and property and confronting criminality across the country. “My
administration is working assiduously to protect life and property and to
execute the fight against terror with all that is at our disposal,” the
President said.
He disclosed that over 7,000 trained forest guards have been
deployed nationwide to deny criminals access to forest corridors. At the same
time, efforts are ongoing to entrench community policing through state
policing, in line with constitutional processes.
Following the declaration of a national security emergency
in November 2025, President Tinubu said security operations have been expanded
and reinforced in states affected by banditry and terrorism. “We have optimised
intelligence-led operations to disrupt and dismantle terrorist and criminal
networks,” he noted.
The President also highlighted Nigeria’s security
cooperation with the United States, stressing that it is focused on counter
terrorism and civilian protection while respecting Nigeria’s sovereignty.
“Our security alliance with the United States is strategic,
focused on protecting vulnerable communities, and operationally led by Nigerian
troops,” he said.
He concluded by urging Nigerians to uphold shared values and
peaceful coexistence, describing unity as the foundation for lasting peace.
The event was attended by leading Islamic scholars,
including Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau, National Chairman of the Jama’atul
Izalatul Bidi’a Wa’Ikamatul Sunnah (JIBWIS); Professor Shehu Ahmad Galadanci,
Chief Imam of Kano State; the Vice Chancellor of the Bayero University, Kano,
Professor Haruna Musa; Sheikh Ahmad Mahmud Gummi, and General Abdulkadir Mahmud
Gummi (rtd), amongst others.
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