He made the remarks on Wednesday during the first triannual meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) held in Abuja.

The meeting brought together key religious and government leaders, including the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.

As co-chair of NIREC, the Sultan said many incidents often labelled as religious violence are being misinterpreted, a situation he believes fuels suspicion and mistrust among citizens.

He stated, “Today, as I stand here, I want to affirm that Muslims are not in a hurry and are not planning anything like decimating the population of Christians in Nigeria.

“We are not in any position whatsoever to remove Christians from Nigeria. No, it is not possible.”

He urged Nigerians to focus on promoting peace, unity, and mutual respect between Christians and Muslims, warning against attaching religion to criminal behaviour.

According to him, insecurity should not be framed through a religious lens.

He said, “Let us get the narrative right, it is not about religion. Let us stop bringing religion into it. Let us call them what they are, criminals, not Muslim criminals, not Muslim terrorists, not Muslim bandits. Even if someone claims to be Muslim, what they do goes against Islam.”

The Sultan also attributed some religious misunderstandings to ignorance and cautioned against false religious claims.

“The fact that you understand Arabic does not make you a Sheikh. Arabic is just a language. So literacy is very important,” he added.

Sultan Calls For Dialogue And Trust

He emphasized dialogue as the most effective way to resolve misunderstandings between religious groups.

“In NIREC, we believe in dialogue. No matter how bad things are, we believe in dialogue. When talking, you need to understand one another, not just tolerate.

“If you do not believe me, what else can you do? You cannot open my heart to see what is inside. We must trust one another,” he said.

He also condemned acts of violence committed in the name of religion, stating that such actions contradict true faith.

“Somebody can go to the market, blow himself or herself up, kill people and shout ‘Allahu Akbar’. Yes, God is great, but you are going to hell. They will suffer for taking innocent lives,” he said.

CAN President Calls For Better Understanding

Speaking at the event, CAN President Archbishop Daniel Okoh called for improved religious literacy and greater mutual respect among Nigerians.

He said religious literacy goes beyond understanding doctrines, stressing the importance of respecting other people’s beliefs and practices.

Okoh noted that many conflicts attributed to religion are often driven by social, economic, or political factors.

He also highlighted NIREC’s role in promoting unity, saying cooperation between faith groups has proven possible despite differences.

SGF Stresses Education And Understanding

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, also emphasized the importance of knowledge and empathy in maintaining national peace.

He warned that ignorance and misunderstanding can fuel conflict, while education and awareness can strengthen trust among citizens.

Akume called on educational institutions to promote accurate teachings about different religions and encouraged Nigerians to challenge divisive narratives.

He also reaffirmed government efforts to tackle insecurity, particularly attacks on schoolchildren, stressing the need to end such violence.