“Everyone going to sermon on Friday, should bring his scriptures for review.” With those words during a TVC interview, Governor Umar Bago of Niger state introduced a new policy that has stirred heated debate across the state.
The directive, which also requires clerics to obtain licenses within two months, has been welcomed by some as a tool for peace but criticized by others as a threat to freedom of worship.
Sermon law not new, only revived to sanitize preaching – Niger DG
The Director General of the Niger State Religious Affairs, Umar Farooq, has explained that the new directive on religious preaching is not a fresh policy but an existing law being revived.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with DAILY POST on Sunday, Farooq said the law has been in place since 1985.
“We have a law in Niger State, there has been an edict law since 1985, so it’s not a new policy. The preaching law has been in existence. What we are just trying to do now is to revive the law to make it useful, so that we can have peaceful environments and avoid creating tensions,” he explained.
He stressed that the state government has not banned preaching, but clerics must now be more careful with their words.
“All preachers should be guided and careful with their utterances. Being a cleric does not give anyone the right to say whatever they want. If a cleric wants to preach, he is free to do so, but it should be the words of God and His prophets. Nobody has banned preaching in Niger State. The governor did not ban preaching, but all preachers must avoid spreading hatred, inciting violence, or insulting other people and institutions. Everything should be done with order to maintain harmony in the state,” Farooq said.
According to him, the aim of the law is not to silence religious leaders but to bring order and discipline to the sector. “We never intended to silence any preacher. Our goal is simply to sanitize the sector,” he explained.
Farooq also explained that the move will help the state gather proper data on clerics.
“This development will give us data, like the number of preachers we have in the state. We are going to generate forms and give to Islamic religious groups so that they can identify their members who preach. As we are giving them forms, we will also be training them, building their capacity, and giving them certificates which will increase their exposure and knowledge on what to say and what not to say. We don’t have a limit,” he said.
On enforcement, Farooq said any preacher who violates the guidelines will be held accountable through their group or sect.
“When a preacher violates these things, we go after their groups because it’s their sect that knows them and will be their guarantors. Any preacher that derails, we will hold his group responsible. Because there will be serious monitoring, the group will help us and the Religious Affairs office will also do,” he explained.
When asked if the law applies to Christians, Farooq confirmed that it does. “Yes, there is no law for only one sect, the Christians are also involved. The law is for all. But where we have more problems now is from the Muslims,” he said.
CAN clarifies Niger preaching law, says christians not affected for now
Daniel Atori, media aide to Reverend Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger State chapter, has clarified that the state government’s directive on licensing preachers currently applies only to Islamic clerics, not Christians.
Speaking in an interview with DAILY POST, Atori said the government’s move was misunderstood at first because the memo went viral on social media without context, creating the impression that both pastors and imams were required to submit their sermons.
“When the news first broke, many thought it covered everyone pastors, reverends, and imams. But upon review, it became clear that the directive was mainly for Islamic clerics under the Da’awa registration,” Atori explained.
He noted that the state government introduced the regulation in response to reports of some preachers delivering inciting messages, particularly in certain parts of Niger State, where sermons were said to challenge democracy and stir up unrest.
“At the Christian Association, we discovered that the directive was not applicable to Christians. The form that is available is strictly for the Islamic community,” he said.
Atori, however, stressed that CAN does not object to government checks on religious preaching, especially when messages are found to be inciting or capable of causing public disorder.
“The government has made it clear that they are watching how things go. If there’s ever a need to extend the regulation to Christians, they may consider it. But for now, it’s strictly Da’awa registration for Muslim clerics,” he added.
Cleric warns against extremism, rivalries, and political manipulation
An Islamic cleric in Kano, Jabeer Mukthar Salisu, has said that the Niger State government’s move to regulate religious preaching may have been triggered by the rise of different sects and the activities of extremist preachers.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with DAILY POST, Jabeer explained that some clerics use their influence to incite followers into violence, a trend that has become worrisome.
“Clerics have followers, and anything they say, their followers take seriously. If a cleric is known for inciting violence, the government has a responsibility not to license such a person,” he said.
He added that rivalries between sects such as Ahlul Sunnah and Darika, or Shi’ites and others sometimes degenerate into hate speech, threats, and even violence
“We’ve seen cases where a sect threatens to burn down another’s mosque or accuses them of insults and blasphemy. This kind of exchange creates disharmony,” Jabeer noted.
According to him, religion is one of the few areas in Nigeria where anyone can declare themselves a cleric without formal training, sometimes using social media or their homes to preach messages that mislead followers.
He argued that while regulation may be necessary, the government should instead develop clear guidelines that prevent abuse and protect genuine clerics.
“What worries many people is whether the government will use this law to silence voices it doesn’t like, even if those clerics are qualified to preach. Until the guidelines are issued, people will remain concerned about who decides, what the criteria are, and how fair the process will be,” he said.
Jabeer warned that while the present government may have good intentions, future administrations could politicize the law and use it as a tool of control. “Even if this government is sincere, another might use it to push their own agenda,” he cautioned.
Drawing a parallel with Kano, he recalled a recent controversy where a cleric was accused of blasphemy after expressing his religious views.
“Instead of street protests, another cleric should have come out to challenge him with knowledge and debate. Correct him, if he is wrong and not trying to find mistakes. That is the proper way. People must stop interfering in matters they don’t fully understand,” Jabeer said.
He concluded by urging clerics to engage one another respectfully on religious differences rather than allowing politicians or extremists to hijack the conversation.
Barrister Usman Yau said Governor Umar Bago has the legal right to enforce the new policy on sermons since the law already exists.
“The governor is not doing anything outside the constitution,” he explained.
According to him, edict laws were legal instruments enforced by military governors at the state level before Nigeria’s return to democracy. He noted that during military rule, decrees were issued at the federal level, while edicts were used in the states as the main tools of governance.
“Many of these edicts were later carried over and adopted into Nigeria’s democratic constitutions, which is why some of them are still in effect today,” Yau added.
He further explained that the constitution gives state governments the legal power to enact and reinforce laws aimed at promoting good governance, peace, and order.
CAN, clerics, lawyers take position on new sermon policy in Niger