The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has called on the Federal Government to arrest and prosecute Islamic cleric Sheikh Yahaya Jingir over alleged hate speech and incitement ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The commission made the demand on Tuesday in a statement signed by its Executive Secretary, Chief Tony Ojukwu, SAN, following remarks allegedly made by Jingir in a viral video.
The NHRC said it was concerned by the cleric’s reported use of the term “infidels” while urging his supporters to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards. It said the remarks appeared to promote religiously divisive politics and could undermine Nigeria’s principles of equality, non-discrimination and peaceful coexistence.
“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,” it said.
The commission warned that allowing such statements to go unchecked could encourage other religious and political figures to make inflammatory comments as the 2027 elections approach.
It therefore called on the Inspector General of Police, the Director-General of the Department of State Services and other relevant agencies to investigate the allegations and prosecute Jingir if found to have committed an offence.
The NHRC also urged religious leaders, traditional rulers and politicians to avoid inflammatory rhetoric and called on Nigerians to reject identity-based politics in favour of assessing candidates based on competence, performance, service delivery and respect for human rights.
It stressed that any prosecution should be pursued regardless of the accused person’s status or political affiliation, saying this would help deter others from exploiting religion for political purposes.
The commission said it would continue monitoring the situation and work with security agencies, the Independent National Electoral Commission and civil society organisations to promote peaceful, credible and violence-free elections in 2027.
