The Northern Christian Youth Professionals (NCYP) has condemned the description of Christians as “Arna,” a Hausa term commonly used to denote an infidel or unbeliever, in remarks attributed to prominent Islamic cleric, Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, warning that such rhetoric could reopen old religious wounds and provide fertile ground for extremists and criminal elements to exploit.
In a statement signed by its National Chairman, Isaac Abrak, the organisation described the alleged remarks as “deeply unfortunate and in bad taste,” particularly given Jingir’s stature and influence as a religious leader.
NCYP said the characterisation of Christians as “Arna” was not only inaccurate but also amounted to a denigration of the Christian faith and the identity of millions of Nigerians.
“Christians are faithful believers in Jesus Christ, whom we worship as the Son of the Almighty God. We are not ‘infidels’ or people without faith,” the organisation said, insisting that responsible religious discourse should not diminish the faith or identity of fellow citizens.
The group said it expected greater restraint, wisdom and responsibility from Jingir, given his age, experience and standing in society.
It warned that inflammatory religious rhetoric could have consequences beyond the immediate political controversy, particularly in a region with a history of devastating communal and religious conflicts.
“History has shown that inflammatory statements, religious suspicion, bitterness and the demonisation of people of another faith can create an atmosphere that extremist and criminal elements may subsequently exploit to manipulate vulnerable citizens, deepen radicalisation, recruit followers and fuel violence,” NCYP said.
The organisation said its intervention was aimed at preventing another crisis rather than waiting until tensions had escalated.
“This is why NCYP is sounding the alarm now — before another crisis occurs,” it stated.
According to the group, Northern Nigeria has endured years of violence that have left communities fractured, while significant efforts are currently being made to rebuild trust and peaceful relationships between Christians and Muslims.
It cautioned that such progress must not be undermined by rhetoric portraying fellow Nigerians as religious outsiders or enemies.
NCYP consequently appealed to moderate Muslims, Islamic scholars and responsible religious leaders to publicly reject statements capable of inflaming religious sentiments and threatening peaceful coexistence.
It also urged relevant authorities to ensure that public figures whose utterances could heighten religious tensions are called to order within the law.
The group said failure to confront such rhetoric could contribute to a recurrence of the religious crises and communal tensions that have compounded Nigeria’s security challenges.
Turning to the controversy surrounding the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, NCYP rejected attempts to portray the 2023 APC ticket as a religious project.
The organisation said it had supported and campaigned for Tinubu and Shettima during the 2023 presidential election, but stressed that its support was based on political considerations, leadership, policy direction and its assessment of the national interest.
It said it never regarded the ticket as either a Christian or Muslim project.
According to NCYP, the decision by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to field a Muslim-Muslim ticket was a political strategy designed to win an election, and Nigerians ultimately had the opportunity to accept or reject the arrangement through the democratic process.
The ticket, it noted, subsequently secured the mandate of the electorate.
The organisation therefore urged Nigerians to stop continually reframing the ticket as a religious agenda or using it to reopen historical religious divisions.
“Tinubu-Shettima ticket should be judged by its governance and performance, not through the prism of religious arithmetic,” it said.
On competing claims about the religious composition of Nigeria’s population, NCYP urged restraint, arguing that religious population figures should not become instruments of political mobilisation or sectarian rivalry.
It maintained that only a credible national census could authoritatively establish the country’s population composition and urged Nigerians to await reliable census data rather than engage in competing claims over whether Muslims or Christians constitute the majority.
“What should matter to Nigerians is not which faith has more followers, but whether the government protects the lives, rights and dignity of every Nigerian, regardless of religion or ethnicity,” the group said.
NCYP further warned that the scale of insecurity across Northern Nigeria made religious division particularly dangerous.
It noted that terrorism, banditry and other forms of violent crime had already resulted in massive loss of lives, displacement, destruction of livelihoods and economic hardship, with the consequences increasingly spreading beyond the region.
The organisation argued that defeating insecurity required more than military intervention, insisting that the battle also involved winning the “hearts and minds” of Nigerians.
“We cannot defeat terrorism, banditry and other violent crimes while allowing the religious and social divisions that extremists and criminal elements can exploit to grow unchecked,” it said.
The group appealed to Muslim and Christian leaders, politicians, traditional rulers and other influential Nigerians to reject inflammatory rhetoric and strengthen the bonds of peaceful coexistence.
“The North has suffered enough,” NCYP declared.
It urged Nigerians to confront divisive rhetoric before it develops into another crisis, stressing that the peace being rebuilt across communities must not be allowed to be destroyed.
