The Bishop of the Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, has blamed the tightened insecurity in the country on sectionalism, fanaticism, injustice and religious intolerance.
Reverend Kukah disclosed this during a town hall meeting organised by Kukah Centre, in collaboration with a non-governmental organization, Global Rights.
The meeting was organised to promote peace and security in the North Western part of the country.
According to Reverend Kukah, the meeting was prompted by the heightened insecurity in the region.
Speaking during the meeting, the cleric said most of the problems are caused by misunderstandings among the people who should learn to tolerate one another, rather than being religious intolerance.
“You know most of these problems at times are as a result of misunderstanding our religion, when we are dealing with ourselves, we should know we are dealing with Nigerians, not religion.
“We shouldn’t quarrel on how we worship God because one cannot fight for God,” Reverend Kukah said.
“We shouldn’t quarrel on how we worship God because one cannot fight for God,” the cleric added.
The man of God however urged stakeholders at the meeting to form a common front in curbing the menace, noting that insecurity knows no religion.
Also speaking during the event, Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State, who was represented by the permanent secretary, ministry of religious affairs, Abubakar Toronkawa, said his administration had made deliberate efforts in promoting peace in the state.
Governor Aliyu restated that youth and women empowerment, job creation and frequent security meetings are part of the efforts put in place by his administration, to tackle insecurity, promising that, his administration would support any initiative geared toward promoting peace and social development.
Similarly, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, who was represented by the Sa’in of Kilgore, Muhammad Jabbi Kilgore, thanked the Kukah Centre and Global Right for organizing the meeting.
Abubakar however affirmed that bad governance, injustice and inequality were among the actors fueling insecurity in the region and Nigeria at large.
The royal father however charged those in positions of authority to be fair in dealing with their subjects, saying they would give account of their stewardship after leaving this world.
The State Commissioner of Police, Ali Hayattu Kaigama, in his part, promised that the police through community policing, will continue to engage stakeholders in its peace-building efforts.