A Yoruba speaking Islamic cleric, Shafiy Adeba, has sparked controversy after making remarks in a video advocating violence and enslavement against non Muslims.
Adeba made the comments in a video shared on his TikTok page on Sunday, where he spoke mainly in Yoruba while referencing Islamic teachings and the Quran.
In the video, the cleric repeatedly used the term “kafir” when referring to non Muslims and claimed that Muslims had a religious justification to fight and enslave them.
He also called for the imposition of what he described as Islamic laws on non Muslims and made statements advocating restrictions on their movement and activities.
The remarks have generated controversy because of their explicit references to violence, conflict and enslavement based on religious identity.
The term “kafir” can have different theological and contextual meanings in Islamic literature, including references to those who reject or do not believe in Islam. In Adeba’s remarks, however, it was used specifically in reference to non Muslims while making claims about fighting and enslaving them.
The controversy comes amid separate political remarks by another Islamic cleric, Sheikh Yahya Jingir, who recently urged Muslims in Kano State to support Muslim Muslim political tickets and obtain their Permanent Voter Cards ahead of future elections.
Jingir made the comments at a campaign event for Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, reportedly tagged “Abba Go Again,” which was attended by the governor.
Speaking in Hausa, Jingir praised President Bola Tinubu for supporting a Muslim Muslim presidential ticket and described himself as a strong advocate of the arrangement.
He also acknowledged that Christians and other religious groups had expressed opposition to Muslim Muslim tickets but questioned whether supporting the political arrangement should be considered wrong.
The two separate incidents have renewed discussions around religious rhetoric, political mobilisation and the need for responsible public commentary in Nigeria’s highly diverse religious environment.
