Attempts To Link The Sultan To Benue State Security Challenges Threat To National Unity And Security – Sultanate Warns

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Sultan of Sokoto, Mohammad Sa’ad Abubakar III,  has dismissed as false, misleading and mischievous, a  viral image  online depicting the Governor of Benue State Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia genuflecting and appearing to be  worshipping him.

He described the picture as well as the mischievous message that it sought to pass as  AI-generated, and the handiwork of mischief makers out to stoke religious flame through misleading narratives.

The Source reports that the social media space has been inundated in the last couple of days with the image of the Benue State Governor genuflecting at the feet of the Sultan with accompanying commentary  suggesting that Alia has continued to remain silent in the face of impudent and genocidal herdsmen attacks and killings of his people owing to his alleged subservience to the Caliphate.

But in a statement from his media team, and signed by Prince Bashir Adefaka ,the Sultan accused those behind the false image and rhetorics of attempting to  ignite ethno-religious conflagration and division in the country.

According to the Media Team, the Sultan does not appear in the manner depicted in the circulated image.

The statement emphasized that  Islamic religious teachings clearly frown at prostration before any human, noting that it is an  act of worship reserved solely for Almighty Allah.

According to the Media Team, the  nature of the image in the video makes the entire video not only false, but also fundamentally inconsistent with the Sultan’s faith and principles.

“The Media Team of the Sultan of Sokoto has been alerted to a misleading post circulating across WhatsApp groups and other social media platforms , titled ‘leaked photo of Governor Hyacinth Alia worshipping the Sultan of Sokoto.’

“The content attempts to introduce divisive religious and ethnic narrative into the ongoing security challenges in Benue state.

“We wish to categorically state that the image in question is fake, likely Al-generated, and deliberately crafted to misinform the public.

“It is also a mischievous ,and dangerous attempt to associate the revered leadership of Muslims in Nigeria, particularly the Sultan of Sokoto, with issues unrelated to his office or person.

“The accompanying commentary falsely alleged religious bias and attempts to inflame tensions by linking the Sultan to the crisis in Benue state.

“Such claims are not only baseless ,but constitute a serious threat to national unity and security.

“These actions reflect a pattern of disinformation designed to invite division and undermine peaceful co-existence among Nigerians.

“As custodians of the image and public communications of the Sultan of Sokoto, who also serves as the President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs ( NSCIA) , Chairman of the National Traditional Rulers Council of Nigeria ,Co-Chairman of the Nigerian Inter-Religious  Council ,and Co-President of the World Religions for Peace, New York, we condemn these acts in the strongest terms”, the Sultanate statement reads in part.

The Media Team emphasized that the Sultan has for nearly two decades been unflinchingly committed to the promotion of peace, interfaith harmony ,and national cohesion.”

It, therefore, warned that all orchestrated efforts to tarnish the examplary legacies of the Sultan must be rejected by all well-meaning Nigerians.

The Sultan called on the Federal Government and all relevant security agencies to take decisive actions against the spread of disinformation, as well as setting machineries in motion for the arrest and prosecution of the promoters of the harmful content.