Sokoto Hisbah denies imposing restrictions on Christian worship

The Sokoto State Hisbah Board has rejected allegations that it has imposed restrictions on Christian worship and practices in the region. According to the board, it lacks the legal authority to regulate the religious activities of Christians. Dr Usman Abdullahi Jatau, the board's commandant, addressed the claims in a statement released on Saturday in Sokoto.

The allegations surfaced on social media, where a blogger identified as @radical.okoja.bia and others claimed that the board prohibited mixed gatherings of men and women in churches, required gender-segregated worship services, and prevented pastors from sitting with their wives during services. Jatau dismissed these allegations as false and misleading, stating that they do not align with the law establishing the Hisbah Board or its actual operations.

The law only applies to Muslims and does not regulate the religious practices of Christians or adherents of other faiths, he emphasized. Jatau warned that spreading such claims could foster religious tensions and harm the peaceful coexistence among different religious communities in Sokoto State. He urged residents not to allow unverified social media reports to create distrust or division.

Furthermore, Jatau rejected any attempts to link the Hisbah Board to allegations of a plan to Islamize Nigeria, clarifying that such political narratives have no bearing on the agency's statutory duties. The board called for peace, unity, mutual respect, and the responsible use of social media to maintain harmonious relations among Nigeria's various religious communities.