NHRC, Kwankwaso, and Christian Bodies Slam Sheikh Jingir Over Viral Hate Speech

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), major Christian bodies, and top political figures have united in strong condemnation of Plateau-based Islamic cleric Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir following a viral video where he openly advocated for religiously exclusive politics ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The controversy erupted after a video surfaced showing Sheikh Jingir, the National Chairman of the Council of Ulama Jama’atu Izalatul Bid’ah Wa’Ikamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS), calling on supporters to obtain voter cards specifically to maintain same-faith political dominance. During the sermon, the cleric used derogatory terms describing non-Muslims and urged his followers to use their voting strength to demonstrate religious supremacy.

Reacting swiftly, the NHRC described the cleric’s statements as dangerous hate speech capable of igniting widespread religious crisis. Executive Secretary of the commission, Chief Tony Ojukwu (SAN), declared that such utterances undermine constitutional guarantees of equality and peaceful coexistence. The commission officially called on the Inspector-General of Police and the Department of State Services to immediately arrest and prosecute Sheikh Jingir to serve as a deterrent against political religious incitement.

Joining the backlash, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) expressed grave concern over the increasing attempt by some religious leaders to turn faith into a weapon for political gain. Both bodies warned that pushing same-faith dominance and derogatory rhetoric threatens national unity, worsens security challenges, and divides citizens along sensitive fault lines.

Similarly, the national leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, knocked the cleric for trading his moral authority for political partisanship. Kwankwaso noted that religious leaders who abandon their spiritual calling to promote divisive political agendas only destroy their own credibility in the eyes of the public.

Islamic scholars and civil society groups across the country have also distanced themselves from Sheikh Jingir’s comments, reassuring the public that his views do not represent the broader Muslim community and insisting that governance should be judged on performance, justice, and competence rather than religious identity.