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The Christian Social Movement of Nigeria (CSMN), the socio-political arm of the Church in Nigeria, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to caution what it described as “extremists amongst Muslims” before they plunge the country into deeper religious tension.

The group also warned the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) to exercise restraint in its comments about former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, insisting that the cleric merely voiced the concerns of many Christians over the country’s worsening insecurity.

In a statement issued by its Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Bosun Emmanuel, the CSMN reacted to an earlier statement by the NSCIA, led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, which warned the Federal Government to address what it described as the “persistent attacks, profiling and marginalisation” of Muslims before adherents of the faith “run out of patience.”

Describing the NSCIA’s position as provocative and insensitive, the CSMN expressed surprise that the Islamic body was issuing warnings instead of apologising to Nigerians, particularly Christians, over the devastation allegedly caused by Islamic insurgents since 2009.

“The Christian community is appealing to President Tinubu to call his religious compatriots to order. Extremists amongst Muslims have used their unbridled religious fervour to destabilise and disorganise Nigeria,” the statement said.

According to the group, Christians had exercised restraint despite what it called sustained provocation and attempts to distort public narratives on insecurity.

“The Christian community has been patient under intensive provocation, and the mischievous distortion of narratives should not continue to be tolerated. Muslims are responsible for the terrorism in Nigeria. The government should task the Sultan of Sokoto to call his followers to order,” Emmanuel stated.

The organisation maintained that the NSCIA had deliberately misrepresented Pastor Oritsejafor’s recent comments during an interview on Channels Television.

It argued that while the Islamic body claimed the cleric said that “90 to 95 per cent of criminals were Muslims,” Oritsejafor had actually referred to those responsible for insecurity in the country, saying that “99.9 per cent of those who are practising and making this thing thrive are Muslims, not Christians.”

CSMN accused the NSCIA of twisting the statement in order to incite public sentiment and create a false narrative against the Christian leader.

“The Christian Social Movement of Nigeria wishes to inform the NSCIA and all concerned citizens that His Eminence, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, is a highly respected and revered leader of the Christian faith. As a Christian leader, he speaks for the Church, and Nigerian Christians stand with him and behind him,” the statement added.

The group further alleged that the Sultan of Sokoto, as both President-General of the NSCIA and traditional ruler of the Fulani people, should focus on addressing violent crimes allegedly committed by Fulani herdsmen rather than criticising Christian leaders.

CSMN also faulted the NSCIA’s claim that a suspect linked to the kidnapping of school children and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State was a Christian pastor.

It dismissed the allegation as misleading, arguing that kidnappers demanding the implementation of Sharia law and the release of arrested Muslim terrorists could not reasonably be linked to Christianity.

The organisation concluded by calling on the Federal Government to address insecurity decisively while urging religious leaders to avoid inflammatory statements capable of worsening the country’s fragile interfaith relations.