The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has stated that efforts to portray Nigerian Muslims as perpetrators of kidnapping, banditry, and other violent crimes are false and misleading, describing such claims as unfair to the vast majority of law-abiding Muslims who contribute meaningfully to national development across various sectors.
In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Abbas Jimoh, to mark Nigeria’s Democracy Day, the council said recent attempts by some individuals and groups to link Islam and Muslims with criminal activity were unjust and posed a threat to national unity.
The statement referenced a recent kidnapping incident in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State, noting attempts to associate the crime with a particular ethnic or religious group.
It stressed that suspects should be identified and prosecuted strictly on the basis of evidence, not identity, adding that criminal acts must not be given ethnic or religious coloration.
The council also expressed concern over Nigeria’s wider security challenges, including terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping, which it said have continued to claim lives, displace communities, and slow national development.
It sympathised with victims and their families, condemned all forms of violence, and urged those involved in criminal activities to desist.
The NSCIA further called on the media and opinion leaders to exercise responsibility in their reporting and avoid narratives that could deepen divisions or mistrust among Nigerians.
It also commended the Federal Government and security agencies for their efforts in addressing insecurity, while urging stronger cooperation to achieve lasting peace.
