The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, has cautioned politicians and public office holders against sponsoring pilgrimages to Mecca and Jerusalem with stolen public funds, saying God does not accept corrupt offerings.
The Sultan gave the warning at the opening ceremony of the stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) in Abuja on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.
Addressing participants, the traditional cum religious leader emphasised that religious leaders should actively collaborate with anti-corruption agencies to curb systemic graft.
He said: “We, as religious leaders, must fight corruption because God Almighty doesn’t like corruption.
“You cannot steal money and send people to Jerusalem or Mecca with corrupt funds and think God will accept your deeds. God is not corrupt, so you cannot use corrupt money for Hajj or anything else.”
The Sultan urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to deal decisively with corrupt individuals, regardless of their political or religious affiliations.
The Sultan added: “Whoever is involved – our brothers, sisters, fathers, or friends should face the law.
“When someone is facing the law, do not tell me he is the pastor of so-and-so church or the chief imam of so-and-so mosque. We do not want to hear that.”
He also urged the EFCC to discharge its duties without political interference.
Highlighting the importance of national unity, the Sultan commended NIREC as a unique platform for fostering dialogue between Christians and Muslims.
He added that such regular interactions were essential for peace, stability, and national development.
The Sultan further urged religious leaders to prioritise genuine mutual understanding over mere tolerance.
The Sultan also cautioned clerics to mind their utterances from the pulpit, especially during election periods, urging to pray for national leaders rather than use religious platforms to incite division or attack public officers.
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He urged participants to discuss national issues openly and avoid spreading rumours upon returning to their communities.
In an overview of the Interfaith Anti-Corruption Manuals Project, Prof. Adedibu Ojerinde, described the manuals as a joint strategic initiative between the EFCC and Nigeria’s religious leadership to address the nation’s moral crisis.
Ojerinde, who is the Chairman of the Interfaith Anti-Corruption Advisory Committee (IAAC), said the project, the 2007 National Interfaith Forum on Corruption outcome, aims to mobilise the pulpit and minbar to transform public morality through dedicated preaching manuals anchored in biblical and Qur’anic texts.
He said the manuals originally inaugurated in 2014 and re-inaugurated January 2024 by President Bola Tinubu, were expanded to address contemporary challenges, including youth, cybercrime and money laundering vulnerabilities within religious institutions.
Ojerinde said that the formal handover of the manuals to NIREC marked a shift from publication to practical execution.
He urged for the integration of anti-corruption themes into Friday sermons and Sunday messages.
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