President Bola Tinubu has called on religious and spiritual leaders to aggressively condemn terrorism, kidnapping, banditry, and the weaponisation of faith to justify violence.

The President made the call on Sunday in Kano during a goodwill message delivered on his behalf by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, at the Grand Maulud of Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tijani.

In a statement signed by his media aide, Yomi Odunuga, the President emphasized that religious institutions possess the social leverage needed to combat extremism and identity-based divisions. He noted that spiritual fathers act as the "guardians of conscience" and must use their platforms to foster peace literacy and moral rectitude among youth.

"Your voices must be raised consistently against the murder of innocent people, against terrorism, kidnapping, banditry, and the misuse of religion to justify cruelty," the President stated. "No genuine service to Allah is advanced by destroying the innocent human life that Allah has made sacred."

Tinubu highlighted that his directive comes at a volatile period, citing a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) report which revealed that 117.8 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide at the end of 2025.

Given Nigeria`s strategic position linking West Africa, the Sahel, and the Lake Chad Basin, Tinubu argued that transnational networks like the Tijjaniyya community are critical partners in building regional security. He praised the delegation—which included scholars from Algeria, Morocco, Senegal, and Egypt—and paid posthumous tribute to the late Islamic scholar Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, who passed away in November 2025, calling him a voice of moderation.

The President`s remarks arrive amidst an intensifying national debate regarding the intersection of faith, governance, and politics in Nigeria.

Just weeks earlier, on July 28, a delegation from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria met with the President to express deep concern over worsening economic and security hardships. Following that closed-door meeting, John Cardinal Onaiyekan publicly warned that presidential aides were painting an unrealistic "rosy picture" of the nation`s realities, while alleging that the administration seemed intent on winning future elections "by all means."

While state officials have fired back at the Christian clergy, accusing them of political partisanship, President Tinubu`s latest address in Kano signals an attempt to pivot the conversation, reminding Islamic and Christian leaders alike that their primary civic duty lies in stabilizing the grassroots against crime and lawlessness.