Niger State Governor Umar Bago has defended his administration’s directive that religious preachers in the state must submit their sermons for approval before delivering them.
Speaking on TVC’s Politics on Sunday, the governor explained that the move was not a ban on evangelism but a regulatory measure aimed at preventing incitement and extremist messages.
“I didn’t ban evangelism… For everyone going to sermon on Friday, he should bring his scriptures for review, and it’s normal. Even in Saudi Arabia, this is done,” Bago said.
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“We cannot say because you have been given the opportunity to be a cleric, you will go out and preach the gospel that is anti-people and anti-government, and you think it’s normal.”
When asked if the directive was out of fear of indoctrination, Bago responded, “It’s in that direction. We want to be able to see what they are preaching and hear what they are saying.”
“We are working together with security agencies—the Department of State Services (DSS), the Police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the military.” He added,
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The Director General of the Niger State Religious Affairs, Umar Farooq, had earlier announced that preachers must obtain licenses before being allowed to preach. According to him, clerics were given two months to comply with the directive.
“All they need to do is to visit our office, get, and fill out the form. After which, they will have to face a panel that will screen them before they can start preaching,” Farooq explained.
Despite criticisms from both Muslim and Christian faithful, Governor Bago maintained that the regulation was necessary to safeguard public peace and prevent sermons that could undermine security in the state.