The President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has warned against stereotyping Muslims as criminals, saying such narratives are capable of fueling religious tension and undermining national unity.

The monarch made the call in a statement on Monday by the NSCIA’s Public Affairs Officer, Abbas Jimoh.

The Sultan said the Council remained committed to peace and the unity of Nigeria despite what it described as persistent attacks, provocation and the profiling of Islam and Muslims in the country.

He said while Muslims had continued to exercise restraint in the face of what the Council termed “unwarranted provocation, assault and baseless profiling,” such restraint should not be mistaken for weakness.

“The commitment necessitates silence and restraint despite unwarranted provocation, assault and baseless profiling of Islam and the Muslims in the country. It should be clear that restraint is not cowardice. But there is always a limit to endurance,” the statement said.

The council criticised recent public comments allegedly portraying Muslims as being responsible for the vast majority of crimes in Nigeria, describing such claims as reckless, baseless and capable of inciting religious division.

Without mentioning names in the headline, the statement referred to remarks made by a former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) during a recent television programme, in which he allegedly claimed that 90 to 95 per cent of criminals in the country are Muslims.

According to the NSCIA, such comments should have attracted sanctions or, at the very least, a reprimand from the appropriate government regulatory agencies in the interest of national security and peaceful coexistence.

The Council also accused some sections of the media and security agencies of applying double standards in handling issues involving religion, arguing that inflammatory remarks directed at Muslims often go unchecked.

It rejected attempts to associate criminality with Islam, citing the recent arrest of a Christian pastor in connection with a kidnap case in Oyo State as evidence that crime should not be attributed to any particular faith.

The Sultan also dismissed claims that Muslims dominate public institutions, arguing instead that they face marginalisation in some areas of national life despite allegations to the contrary.

While urging Muslims to remain peaceful and law-abiding, he called on the Federal Government, security agencies and the media to act responsibly by discouraging religious profiling and statements capable of inflaming tensions.

“The barrage of open assault on the integrity of Islam and the Muslims in public spaces should be checked in the interest of peace and order. Enough is enough,” the statement added.

The NSCIA reaffirmed its commitment to peaceful coexistence and appealed to all Nigerians to avoid actions and comments capable of deepening religious divisions or threatening the country’s unity.