NHRC Calls on Police, DSS to Arrest Sheikh Yahaya Jingir for Hate Speech
- The National Human Rights Commission condemned remarks made by Islamic cleric Sheikh Yahaya Jingir in a viral video on Sunday
- The NHRC said the cleric urged supporters to get voter cards to 'show their limit' while using language referring to 'infidels'
- The Commission warned that failure to act ahead of 2027 elections could embolden other clerics and public figures to make worse statements
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The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has called on the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the Department of State Services, and other security authorities to immediately arrest and prosecute Islamic cleric Sheikh Yahaya Jingir over remarks described as hate speech and religious incitement.
The demand came on August 11 in a statement signed by the Commission's Executive Secretary, Chief Tony Ojukwu, SAN, after a video of the cleric circulated widely online on Sunday.
Source: Twitter
According to Vanguard, the NHRC said it watched with concern as Sheikh Jingir openly pushed for religiously exclusive politics ahead of the 2027 general elections, using the term "infidels" while encouraging supporters to obtain voter cards to "show their limit."
NHRC describes remarks as dangerous
The Commission said the cleric's words amounted to a direct attack on the principles of equality, non-discrimination, and peaceful coexistence guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and Nigeria's international human rights obligations.
"The Commission finds these remarks to be hate speech and incitement to religious hatred and potential violence. At a time when we are preparing for another general election, such utterances are reckless and dangerous. They serve no purpose other than to divide Nigerians along religious lines and set citizens against one another," the statement read.
The NHRC further warned that inaction at this stage would send a damaging signal to other influential voices. "If we fail to speak and act now, we embolden both Christian and Muslim clerics and other influential persons to make worse statements in the coming months. That path leads only to crisis," the Commission added.
Call for prosecution regardless of status
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The Commission stressed that any prosecution must proceed without regard to the cleric's status or political connections, saying this was necessary to deter others from exploiting religion for political advantage during the election period.
Religious leaders, traditional rulers, and politicians were also urged to step back from divisive language, while Nigerians were encouraged to reject identity politics and instead hold public officials accountable on the basis of competence, service delivery, and respect for human rights.
The NHRC said it would continue to monitor the situation and engage with security agencies, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and civil society groups to ensure the 2027 general elections remain free from hate and violence.
Source: Twitter
Gumi reacts to Sheikh Jingir's pro-Tinubu comments
Legit.ng earlier reported that Kaduna-based Islamic scholar Dr Ahmad Gumi has called on political actors across Nigeria to stop using religion as a tool for winning elections, saying the country's diversity demands greater restraint from faith leaders and politicians alike.
Gumi stated this while responding to remarks attributed to Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, the National Chairman of Jama'atu Izalatil Bid'a Wa'ikamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS). The controversial cleric made his position known in a post on his verified Facebook page on Monday, August 10, 2026.
Source: Legit.ng
