The Sokoto State Hisbah Board has dismissed as false and misleading allegations circulating on social media that it has imposed restrictions on Christian worship and religious practices in the state.
In a statement issued on Saturday in Sokoto, the Board’s Commandant, Dr. Usman Abdullahi Jatau, described the allegations as an attempt to misrepresent the agency’s mandate, damage public confidence and create religious tension in a state known for peaceful coexistence.
The controversy followed claims by a blogger identified as @radical.okoja.bia and others that the Hisbah Board was interfering with Christian worship and imposing rules on how Christians should conduct church services.
Among the allegations were claims that mixed gatherings of men and women were prohibited in churches and that Christian worship services had to be separated according to gender. It was also alleged that pastors could not sit with their wives during church services.
The allegations further linked the supposed restrictions to an alleged plan to Islamise Nigeria, beginning in Sokoto and extending to other parts of the country.
However, Jatau categorically rejected the claims, saying they did not reflect the law establishing the Sokoto State Hisbah Board or its operational responsibilities.
According to him, the law establishing the Board, as enacted by the Sokoto State House of Assembly, applies only to Muslims. He stressed that the Hisbah Board has no authority to regulate Christian worship or interfere with the religious practices of people of other faiths.
Jatau said the Board therefore had no legal mandate to dictate how Christians conduct church services, organise mixed gatherings, relate with their spouses during worship or practise their faith.
He warned that attributing such restrictions to the Hisbah Board could create unnecessary religious tension and undermine the peaceful relationship between different communities and faith groups in Sokoto State.
“Our response is not intended to please or offend anybody, but to correct factual inaccuracies, challenge unsupported assertions, and distinguish facts from malicious and fictitious misinterpretations,” Jatau said.
The Commandant maintained that people of different religious backgrounds continue to live and conduct legitimate activities in Sokoto, urging residents to avoid allowing unverified social media reports to create distrust, hostility or division.
He also warned against involving the Hisbah Board in partisan political narratives, particularly claims of an organised plan to Islamise Nigeria, describing such allegations as unrelated to the agency’s statutory responsibilities.
The Board urged Nigerians, especially residents of Sokoto State, to disregard the allegations and avoid using religion for political or social purposes. It stressed the importance of peace, unity, mutual respect and responsible use of social media in maintaining harmonious relations among Nigeria’s diverse religious communities.
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