Sokoto Hisbah dimisses claims of restricting Christian worship

The Sokoto State Hisbah Board has denied reports that it imposed restrictions on Christian worship and practices in the state.

The denial followed claims circulating on social media that the Islamic enforcement agency had introduced rules affecting how Christians conduct worship and organise religious gatherings.

The Commandant of the board, Dr Usman Abdullahi Jatau, described the allegations as false and misleading, saying they were capable of causing religious tension in the state.

Jatau, in a statement issued on Saturday, said the claims did not reflect the mandate or activities of the Hisbah Board.

He said the controversy was sparked by allegations from a blogger identified as @radical.okoja.bia and others, who claimed that the board was interfering with Christian worship.

The claims included an allegation that mixed gatherings of men and women were prohibited in churches and that Christian worship services had to be conducted separately for males and females.

It was also alleged that pastors could not sit with their wives during church services.

The claims further suggested that the alleged restrictions were part of a plan to Islamise Nigeria, beginning with Sokoto and extending to other parts of the country.

However, Jatau rejected the allegations, stressing that the law establishing the Sokoto State Hisbah Board applies only to Muslims.

He said the board had no legal authority to regulate Christian worship or dictate how adherents of other faiths should conduct their religious activities.

“The law establishing the Sokoto State Hisbah Board, as enacted by the Sokoto State House of Assembly, applies only to Muslims,” Jatau said.

He added that the board could not determine how Christians organised their worship services, conducted mixed gatherings or interacted with their spouses during religious activities.

Jatau said attributing such restrictions to the Hisbah Board amounted to a distortion of facts that could undermine peaceful relations among religious communities in the state.

“Our response is not intended to please or offend anybody, but to correct factual inaccuracies, challenge unsupported assertions, and distinguish facts from malicious and fictitious misinterpretations,” he said.

The commandant also cautioned against linking the board to political narratives, particularly claims of a coordinated plan to Islamise Nigeria.

He said such claims had nothing to do with the statutory responsibilities of the Hisbah Board.

“The blogger should continue his campaign for whichever party he is working for, but should not link the Sokoto State Hisbah Board with his assertions on the political fortune or misfortune of the country,” Jatau said.

The board urged residents and other Nigerians to disregard the allegations and avoid sharing unverified information capable of creating distrust and hostility among religious groups.

It also called for peace, unity and mutual respect among the different faith communities in the state.