The Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) on Tuesday, 11 August, 2026 charged Nigerians to reject attempts to weaponise religion, ethnicity and poverty to create division, emphasizing that humanity remains the common bond among citizens, reports thegazellenews.com
NIREC, through its Executive Secretary, Prof Cornelius Omonokhua stated this on Tuesday at the International Conference on Security and National Unity, organised by Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatus Sunnah in collaboration with the Muslim World League.
According Omonokhua, Christians and Muslims must promote mercy, compassion, love and respect for human dignity.
“No one is created a Christian, and no one is created a Muslim. We are created as human beings; hence what binds us together is humanity,” Omonokhua said, adding that religion must not be used to justify violence, noting that both Christianity and Islam uphold the sanctity of human life.
“We should never allow anybody to weaponise religion or ethnicity or poverty to turn us against each other. May God give us security and may we continue to live in peace and harmony.”NIREC scribe said, just as he also said the council had continued to promote human dignity, the common good and welfare of Nigerians through cooperation between Christians and Muslims.
Also speaking, the Sultan of Sokoto and Co-Chairman of NIREC, Sa’ad Abubakar III, called for greater implementation of agreements reached at conferences, saying Nigeria does not lack solutions to its problems.
“We don’t lack solutions to our problems. What we lack is implementation. How to implement whatever we agree to do,” the Sultan said.
He also urged Christians and Muslims to desist from insulting one another, saying, “Christians should stop insulting Muslims. Muslims should stop insulting Christians, and that’s how we live in peace.”
