Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Sokoto State Hisbah Board has dismissed as false and misleading allegations circulating on social media that it imposed restrictions on Christian worship and religious activities in the state. The denial came after claims surfaced online that the Islamic enforcement agency had introduced rules affecting how Christians conduct worship services and organise religious gatherings.
The controversy was sparked by allegations from a blogger identified as @radical.okoja.bia and others. The claims included that the Board had prohibited mixed gatherings of men and women in churches and directed that church services be conducted separately. It was also alleged that pastors could not sit with their wives during church services. The allegations further suggested that the supposed restrictions were part of a broader plan to Islamise Nigeria, beginning with Sokoto and extending to Plateau State, the South-West, South-East and South-South.
In a statement issued on Saturday, August 29, 2026, the Commandant of the Board, Dr Usman Abdullahi Jatau, categorically rejected the allegations. He stressed that the claims did not reflect the position, mandate or activities of the Sokoto State Hisbah Board. Jatau explained that the law establishing the Board, as enacted by the Sokoto State House of Assembly, applies only to Muslims and does not regulate or interfere with the religious practices of Christians or adherents of other faiths.
"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 had no legal authority to regulate Christian worship or dictate how adherents of other faiths should conduct their religious activities. Jatau said the Board could not determine how Christians organised their worship services, conducted mixed gatherings or interacted with their spouses during religious activities.
"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," Jatau said. He warned that attributing such restrictions to the Hisbah Board amounted to a dangerous distortion of facts that could create unnecessary religious tension and undermine peaceful relations among religious communities in the state.
Jatau 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. Jatau described Sokoto as one of the peaceful states in the country, where people of different religious backgrounds are treated with dignity and respect.
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