The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs has urged religious leaders to promote truth and verify information before disseminating it to the public.
Speaking at an event in Abuja on Wednesday, the Secretary-General of the NSCIA, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, urged Islamic clerics to champion responsible communication in their sermons.
Represented by the NSCIA Public Affairs Officer, Abbas Jimoh, Oloyede said misinformation and disinformation contribute to communal clashes, heighten religious tensions and foster mistrust in society.
He said, “In Northern Nigeria, as well as across the country, our communities are navigating a complex information ecosystem. Rumours spread faster than the truth. Misinformation fuels mistrust, inflames divisions, and too often leads to real-world harm, from health crises to communal conflict.
“Unfortunately, misinformation and disinformation have contributed to misunderstandings among communities, heightened religious and ethnic tensions, undermined public trust and, in some instances, fuelled insecurity and violence. The consequences are particularly severe in societies where emotions, identities and beliefs can easily be exploited by malicious actors.
“This reality places a significant responsibility on religious leaders. Islamic clerics and scholars occupy positions of trust and influence within society. Every week, millions of Nigerians receive guidance from their imams, teachers and scholars through sermons, lectures, study circles and community engagements. As trusted voices, religious leaders are uniquely positioned to promote truth, caution, verification, critical thinking and responsible communication.”
According to him, the principles of fact-checking and information verification are deeply rooted in Islamic teachings.
He said Allah, in the Glorious Qur’an, Surah Al-Hujurat, Verse 6 (49:6), instructs believers to verify information before acting upon it, warning against the dangers of spreading unverified reports.
“Religious leaders must become champions of truth, peace and informed citizenship. They must encourage their communities to pause before sharing information, verify before believing, and seek evidence before making judgments.
“By doing so, they contribute to social harmony, national unity and sustainable development,” he said.
Also speaking, the Secretary-General of the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) National Headquarters and Imam of the National Mosque, Professor Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, urged clerics to remain apolitical and always verify information before sharing it.
He, however, urged the political class not to entice clerics, noting that such actions could place them in difficult situations.
“They should verify information, respect themselves and remain apolitical.
“They should see themselves as people who have a spiritual responsibility to guide and not mislead.
“I ask politicians to fear God also and not entice them or box them into difficult situations,” he said.
In his welcome address, the convener of the workshop and Editor of Alkalanci, Alhassan Bala, said the gathering was both timely and necessary because campaigns ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections would soon begin.
“As has been monitored and reported by different research organisations, whenever elections approach, misinformation and disinformation by local actors are expected to rise. Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) is also expected, as some countries have significant interest in Nigeria’s elections,” he said.
He said the workshop would equip clerics with the knowledge needed to avoid falling victim to fake news and misinformation.
“We are also in a time when AI-generated pictures, videos and audio recordings, known as deepfakes, are becoming increasingly sophisticated, which is another important reason for community leaders like you to have the knowledge and means of protecting yourselves and your communities from falling into the trap of falsehood peddlers,” he said.