Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir has said he has “zero regrets” over controversial remarks he recently made about Christians and Christianity, despite widespread condemnation from both Christian and Muslim Nigerians.
Jingir reportedly made the remarks on August 12, 2026, insisting that he would continue making the statements wherever he had the opportunity and that those who disagreed with him were free to express their views.
The comments have triggered renewed criticism from prominent Nigerians, with concerns that inflammatory religious rhetoric could deepen tensions between Christians and Muslims.
Reacting to the development, a Nigerian Christian critic accused the cleric of aggravating an already sensitive situation by refusing to apologise or express remorse over his earlier comments.
The critic said Jingir’s remarks, which reportedly included references to Christians as “infidels,” calls for Christians to be “put in their place,” and assertions concerning Nigeria’s religious identity, were unacceptable in a multi-faith country.
He argued that Christians and Muslims have equal rights as Nigerian citizens and should be treated with mutual respect regardless of their religious affiliations.
The critic also praised the Sultan of Sokoto for recently appealing to Christians and Muslims to avoid insulting one another, describing the intervention as “fatherly counsel” that helped calm tensions following Jingir’s earlier comments.
According to him, several Northern Muslim governors and a prominent Muslim cleric had privately expressed disappointment over Jingir’s remarks and reaffirmed their commitment to peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims.
He further rejected claims allegedly made by Jingir linking the Maitatsine sect to Christians, describing the assertion as false and dangerous.
The critic maintained that extremist organisations such as Maitatsine, Boko Haram, ISWAP, Ansaru and Lakurawa should not be identified with any religion, arguing that their victims have included both Muslims and Christians.
He also questioned Jingir’s opposition to Christians who supported the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in the 2023 election.
The critic said his support for the ticket was based on the principle that competence, rather than religious identity, should determine political choices.
He stressed that supporting a Muslim-Muslim ticket did not mean Christians had accepted the subordination of Christianity to Islam.
“Our belief is that these two great faiths are on an equal footing and that neither is superior to the other,” he said.
He warned that inflammatory comments by religious leaders could undermine political arrangements and further damage public confidence in religious coexistence.
The critic also accused Jingir of undermining the very political arrangement he claims to support, arguing that the cleric’s comments could generate greater opposition to the Muslim-Muslim ticket.
He said he would not insult Jingir because of the cleric’s age and because of the Sultan’s appeal for restraint, but insisted that he remained deeply offended by the remarks.
The critic further called on the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate Jingir’s statements, arguing that religiously inflammatory rhetoric capable of provoking conflict should not be ignored.
He also appealed to the Sultan of Sokoto and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to publicly caution the cleric.
The controversy comes amid continuing concerns over religious intolerance and inflammatory rhetoric in Nigeria, where Christians and Muslims constitute the country’s two largest religious communities.
The critic maintained that political differences should not be allowed to destroy the longstanding social relationships between Nigerians of different faiths.
He concluded by urging religious and political leaders to promote restraint, peaceful coexistence and mutual respect, warning that religious extremism and intolerance could have serious consequences for national unity.
