A prominent Islamic cleric, Sheikh Alkali Abubakar Salihu Zaria, has been suspended by Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS), Jos faction, for criticizing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and northwest governors over insecurity in the region. The suspension followed a sermon where Sheikh Alkali condemned kidnappings, banditry, and lack of political will from state leaders, saying, “Today, people are abducted and traded as though they were cattle.”
Sheikh Alkali also criticized politicians’ reverence for power over piety, stating, “Governors fear Tinubu much more than they fear Allah.” JIBWIS accused him of using “strongly worded statements” against individuals and addressing insecurity inconsistently with their methodology.
The cleric accepted the suspension, urging followers to remain steadied and describing JIBWIS leader Muhammad Sani Yahaya Jingir as a father figure. The incident has sparked debate on freedom of expression and the role of religious leaders in Nigerian politics.
