By Pascal Ibe

Claim

Many social media users have brought up an old news publication of where Sultan of Sokoto allegedly said that Nigerians Fight Almighty Allah When They Fight Boko Haram.

Verdict

This is False! FactWatch discovered that this claim was first made three years ago by an X user which was not reported by any credible news organization in Nigeria.

According to a statement by MURIC in 2020, former chairman of the Editorial Board of Vanguard newspaper, Isiguzo Ikedi, published a false story in which he deliberately quoted the Sultan wrongly

Full Text

A Facebook user, Nkky Agnes, three weeks ago, claimed that the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III is supporting Boko Haram terrorists.

According to the Facebook user, the Sultan of Sokoto said, “You Fight Almighty Allah When You Fight Boko Haram “

The Facebook user posted a screenshot of the alleged comment by Sultan and warned Nigerians to be at alert.

The post on Facebook garnered over 10O reactions and many comments.

As observed, many persons believed that this is true.

Also, four weeks ago, a YouTube channel named Kai Report posted this same claim.

Sultan In The News

Weeks ago, the Muslim Rights Concern raised concerns about an alleged plan by the Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, to depose the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III.

In a statement on Monday, MURIC’s Executive Director, Prof. Isiaq Akintola, expressed alarm over the potential move, which comes amid controversy and tension following the deposition of several monarchs in Kano State.

Governor Aliyu had previously removed 15 traditional rulers for various offences.

Akintola stated, “Nigerian Muslims reject any thought of deposing the Sultan. Feelers in circulation indicate that the governor may descend on the Sultan of Sokoto any moment from now using any of the flimsy excuses used to dethrone the 15 traditional rulers whom he removed earlier.”

He stressed that the Sultan’s role is not only traditional but also religious, extending beyond Sokoto to cover all Nigerian Muslims as their spiritual head.

“MURIC advises the governor to look before he leaps. The Sultan’s stool is not only traditional. It is also religious. In the same vein, his jurisdiction goes beyond Sokoto. It covers the whole of Nigeria. He is the spiritual head of all Nigerian Muslims,” Akintola said.

Akintola cautioned Aliyu against provoking Nigerian Muslims into drastic action, citing historical precedent.

“A military governor, Colonel Yakubu Muazu, exposed this soft underbelly when he deposed Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki on 20th April 1996. Nigerian Muslims will be forced to make a hard decision if Sokoto governors continue to diminish the authority of the Sultan.”

He further stated, “For the avoidance of any doubts, Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar is not only the Sultan of Sokoto but the Sultan of the Nigerian people.

“His performance and style of leadership have warmed him into the hearts of Nigerians.”

Akintola suggested that if Sokoto’s leadership continues to undermine the Sultan, Nigerian Muslims might shift towards selecting Islamic scholars as their leaders instead of traditional rulers.

“It will be a farewell to the leadership of traditional rulers over the NSCIA and an irreversible departure from Sokoto’s privileged leadership position. But history will not be kind to Col. Yakubu Muazu and Ahmed Aliyu for ruining the chances of Sokoto.”

He cautioned that repeated actions against the Sultan would not be tolerated.

“Once is happenstance, twice is a coincidence, and the third time is enemy action. If the deposition of a Sultan and NSCIA leader happens a second time, Nigerian Muslims will not allow the embarrassment to happen a third time.”

MURIC called on the Sokoto State House of Assembly to review the state’s chieftaincy laws to exempt the Sultan of Sokoto.

“MURIC reiterates its call on the Sokoto State House of Assembly to either repeal or review the state’s chieftaincy laws by adding the phrase ‘except the Sultan of Sokoto’ to Section 6, Cap 26 of the Laws of Northern Nigeria which empowers the state governor to depose the emirs including the Sultan.”

Akintola urged Northern elites and Islamic scholars to intervene promptly.

“This is the time to lobby the Sokoto State House of Assembly and the governor himself. If the chieftaincy laws of Kano State can be repealed within 24 hours, nothing stops that of Sokoto State from being reviewed in favour of immunity for the office of the Sultan in a single day to save Nigerian Muslims from humongous embarrassment.”

Verification

First, the screenshot of this publication that Sultan of Sokoto said “You Fight Almighty Allah When You Fight Boko Haram “, has no name of news organization..

Another finding by FactWatch showed no reputable news medium published what sultan of Sokoto allegedly said.

We tracked and found out that this claim has been first posted about three years ago on X by Oluchi Christy.

We also found a statement by the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) in 2020, demanding an apology from a former chairman of the Editorial Board of Vanguard newspaper, Isiguzo Ikedi, who published a false story in which he deliberately quoted the Sultan wrongly.

According to the statement, “Whereas the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, said Nigeria could win the war against insurgents, Isiguzo Ikedi reported him as saying that anybody fighting Boko Haram was fighting Almighty Allah.“

Conclusion

The claim posted by a Facebook user that Sultan of Sokoto said anybody fighting Boko Haram was fighting Almighty Allah, is False.

It was an old claim in 2020.

According to a statement by MURIC, former chairman of the Editorial Board of Vanguard newspaper, Isiguzo Ikedi, published a false story in which he deliberately quoted the Sultan wrongly.

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