CCN condemns Jingir’s  ‘infidels’ remark, urges religious leaders to promote unity

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

The Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN) has condemned a statement attributed to the National Chairman of the Council of Ulama of JIBWIS, Sheikh Yahaya Jingir, reportedly describing Christians as infidels and linking the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to an assertion that Muslims are more numerous than Christians in Nigeria.

The CCN, in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by its General Secretary, The Rt. Rev. Evans Onyemara, described the reported remarks as “reckless” and divisive, warning that such comments could deepen religious distrust in the country, particularly as Nigeria enters another period of heightened political activity.

The Council said public utterances by influential religious figures carry significant weight and should be guided by a commitment to peace, tolerance and national cohesion.

L-R: RT. Rev. Onyemara, CCN Secretary-General, Most Rev David Onuoha, President of CCN

According to the CCN, Nigeria is a multi-religious country whose citizens are constitutionally entitled to practise and express their faith without discrimination.

The Council specifically cited Section 38 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which guarantees freedom of religion, stressing that no Nigerian should be demeaned or discriminated against on the basis of religious belief.

The Christian body called on the leadership of the Muslim Ummah to caution and appropriately counsel Jingir over what it described as the implications of such public statements.

It said religious leaders had a special responsibility to promote peaceful coexistence and mutual respect, rather than make pronouncements capable of widening existing religious and political divisions.

The Council equally appealed to Christian and Muslim leaders to exercise restraint and civility in their public engagements, particularly at a time when religious and political sentiments could easily be exploited.

“Religious leaders have a special responsibility to promote peace, tolerance, mutual respect, and national unity,” the Council said.

It stressed that disagreements over political or religious issues should be addressed through dialogue and lawful institutional channels rather than rhetoric capable of provoking hostility between communities.

‘Nigeria belongs to all of us’

The CCN reaffirmed its commitment to peaceful coexistence among Nigerians of different faiths, saying it would continue to pursue dialogue, justice, peace and mutual respect.

Jingir

“No religion should claim superiority over another in a manner that demeans fellow citizens or threatens peaceful coexistence. Nigeria belongs to all of us, and its peace is a shared responsibility,” it said.

The Council invoked the popular maxim that “an eye for an eye can only create a community of blind people,” using it to underscore its rejection of retaliatory rhetoric.

It said Christians should respond to provocative statements through lawful and constitutional means while resisting actions capable of further inflaming religious tensions.

The CCN further reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the dignity and rights of Christians through lawful means, while maintaining engagement with other faith communities in the interest of Nigeria’s peace, unity and stability.