The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) senatorial candidate for Kaduna North, Dr Abdullahi Wakili, has called on President Bola Tinubu, Northern governors and security agencies to take urgent measures to protect Islamic clerics amid reported killings and threats against religious leaders in the region.
Wakili made the call in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Kaduna.
He expressed concern over the killing of Islamic scholars and clerics in Kaduna, Katsina and other parts of Northern Nigeria.
He said the incidents required sustained government action, thorough investigations and the prosecution of perpetrators to prevent further attacks.
According to him, the killing of Islamic clerics goes beyond the loss of individual lives, as it affects their families, students, congregations and communities that depend on them for religious guidance.
He recalled the assassination of Sheikh Ja’afar Mahmud Adam in Kano on April 13, 2007, and the killing of Sheikh Muhammad Auwal Albani Zaria, alongside his wife and young son, in Zaria on Feb. 1, 2014.
Wakili also cited the killing of Bello Abubakar, an assistant imam, in Layin Danauta, Kuyello Ward, Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, on Jan. 14, 2026.
He further referred to the reported killing of Sheikh Yahaya Ibrahim Masussuka and his friend, Adamu Abubakar, in Dutsin-Ma Local Government Area of Katsina State, on Oct. 26.
He said the incidents underscored the need for authorities to strengthen security measures and ensure that those responsible for the killings were brought to justice.
Wakili noted that Islamic clerics played important roles in educating young people, guiding families, mediating disputes and promoting peaceful coexistence in their communities.
He said the protection of religious leaders was therefore a matter of public safety and fundamental rights, rather than a concern limited to any particular religious group.
“No disagreement justifies murder. No individual or armed group has the right to take another person’s life because of religious differences, personal hostility, a sermon or a disagreement over the interpretation of religious teachings,” he said.
The PRP candidate urged the Federal Government, state governments, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services and other security agencies to prioritise the protection of clerics and other community leaders facing credible threats.
He called for effective mechanisms to enable religious leaders, mosque committees and community organisations to report threats confidentially and obtain timely assistance from security agencies.
Wakili also urged security agencies to strengthen intelligence gathering, improve rapid-response capabilities and intensify security operations in communities affected by banditry, kidnapping and other forms of armed violence.
He said investigations into the killings should be conducted professionally, with credible updates provided to the public without compromising ongoing investigations.
The candidate further called for accountability where credible evidence indicated negligence or misconduct by security personnel in responding to reported threats.
He urged the authorities to provide appropriate support to families of slain clerics and other victims of violence, warning against allowing affected communities to be abandoned after initial expressions of sympathy.
Wakili also appealed to religious leaders, traditional rulers, civil society organisations and citizens to promote dialogue, religious tolerance and peaceful dispute resolution.
He stressed that protecting clerics did not place them above the law or legitimate criticism, but ensured that disagreements were addressed through lawful and peaceful means.
“Protecting Islamic clerics and every other citizen is not a favour from the government; it is a fundamental responsibility of the state,” he said.
Wakili urged the government to move beyond condemnations and promises of investigation, insisting that sustained preventive measures and demonstrable progress in resolving cases were necessary to restore public confidence.
He said no citizen should be denied the right to live and practise religion peacefully because of threats, intimidation, or violence.
