The National Da’Wah Officer of the Nasrul-Lahi-l-Fatih Society, Abdul-Ganiyy Raji, has stated that terrorists and bandits operating across Nigeria should not be identified as Muslims, stressing that their actions are completely against the teachings of Islam.
Raji made the remarks on Wednesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Morning Brief programme while Muslims across the country celebrated Eid al-Adha.
The Islamic cleric said violent groups hiding under religion to justify attacks, killings and abductions do not represent Islam or the Muslim community. According to him, Islam promotes peace, tolerance and respect for human life.
“People have come out to say these people are not Muslims. These people are not Muslims,” he said.
“And I’m going to say it right here too, that they are not representing Islam.”
Raji dismissed claims that Muslim leaders and clerics had failed to condemn insurgency and banditry in the country. He noted that respected Islamic scholars and leaders have repeatedly spoken against terrorism and all forms of violence linked to extremist groups.
Speaking further, the NASFAT official argued that many criminal gangs initially presented themselves as religious groups but have now turned into networks focused on kidnapping and ransom collection.
“They are now kidnapping people, asking for money. Are you now going to say that the ransom they are collecting is being used to sponsor people to Mecca or to build mosques or schools for Muslims?” he queried.
He also lamented the impact of insecurity on children living in conflict-hit communities, especially in northern Nigeria. According to him, thousands of children have been denied access to education because of attacks carried out by insurgents and bandits.
Raji said such actions directly contradict Islamic teachings on justice, compassion and protection of human dignity.
The cleric further appealed to media organisations to create more opportunities for moderate Islamic scholars to educate Nigerians on the true message of Islam and help counter extremist narratives.
“I also need to appeal to a TV station like Channels Television that coming to your station should not be a one-off event or an annual event. You need to provide a platform for Muslim clerics who have very good messages to pass across,” he said.
He added that top Islamic leaders in Nigeria, including the Sultan of Sokoto, have consistently condemned terrorism, extremism and violence carried out in the name of religion.
While explaining his position, Raji referenced several verses from the Qur’an which, according to him, encourage peaceful coexistence and reject compulsion in matters of faith.
Quoting Qur’an 2:256, he said, “God says there is no compulsion in religion.”
He also cited Qur’an 109:6 and Qur’an 60:8-9, which he said encourage Muslims to live peacefully with people of other faiths who do not oppress others.
The NASFAT official equally referred to the life of Prophet Muhammad, noting that the Prophet established peaceful relations among Muslims, Christians and Jews in Medina through the historic Charter of Medina.
According to him, the example of the Prophet clearly shows that Islam encourages dialogue, justice and mutual respect among people from different religious and ethnic backgrounds.
