By Mohammed Danlami
Clerics under the aegis of Clerics Congress of Nigeria and Nigeria Clerics Council of Bishops and Imams have commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his renewed search for peace in the country.
Bishop Timothy Terfa Cheren, leader of the group made the commendation at a press conference Friday in Abuja preparatory to the North West Peace Summit coming up at Yar’adua Hall, Murtala Mohammed Square, Kaduna.
The Summit with the theme “Towards Peace and Harmony in the North West Region is scheduled for Wednesday 17th – Thursday 18th December 2025.
Bishop Cheren also commended President Tinubu on the appointment of General C.G Musa as Defence Minister and extolled the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji Muammadu Sa’ad Abubakar CFR, as a man of peace.
“We wish to state with every sense of duty that over the years, we have had very complicated security situations that tend to divide the peace and stability of our nation.
He talked of “National and international concerns, with the most recent been the classification of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern by the United States.
“In this regard, we want to state that though there are concerns, which have over the years triggered, especially those of the Christian faith to allege been targeted form of killings, which some term in some quarters as genocide”, adding “we believe that the solution to all of these are within the capacity of the government of Nigeria and the people of Nigeria to solve if our leaders at all levels and the people will come together with sincere hearts to resolve.
He said it is on the backdrop of this that they at the Cheren Peace Foundation have, over the years, embarked on a National Peace Mission with the purpose of “galvanizing our people at all levels to embrace peace”, adding that this year alone, they have held the National Peace Summit in Abuja on the 29th of April where the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima was the special Guest of Honour. Then came the North Central Peace Summit co-hosted by the Governor of Nasarawa State and Chairman of the North Central Governors Forum, His Excellency Engr. A.A Sule at Lafia.
Presently, they are in the process of hosting the North West Peace Summit in Kaduna on the 17th and 18th of December, 2025 at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Hall, MMS, Kaduna.
This Summit is to be chaired by His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar CFR, the Sultan of Sokoto, which promises to help in complementing the effort of government and stakeholders towards lasting peace, not just in the Northwest, but Nigeria and sub-saharan Africa by extension.
The Bishops particularly commend the efforts of President Tinubu towards arresting the tide of insecurity in the nation at this critical time, particularly the recent appointment of General Christopher Musa as Minister of Defence, which they see as “a step taken in the right direction.
“We also wish to commend him on that and hope this administration will continue to sit up in ensuring that the threat of insecurity is permanently dealt with.
“We wish to encourage the government to see the warning posed by the United State as a wake-up call and an extension of a hand of fellowship by a strategic partner with superior power for a more effective fight against the terrorists and evil powers bent of bringing the country to its knees.
However, Cheren said government must not be “cowed into submitting to any invasion by any foreign power as this has not done any nation good as no one can solve our problems more than ourselves with sincerity and true commitment irrespective of your religion, tribe or creed as the terrorist spare no one in their actions.
“We also wish to commend the peace efforts of His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar CFR, the Sultan of Sokoto as a leader and harbinger of Peace. Here is a man who for 19 years of His reign has stood for the peace and unity of the North and Nigeria by extension.
The National Executive Council of the North West Peace Summit is glad to identify with His Eminence who has diligently charted the course for peace. We identity with the peace effort of this Ambassador of peace through his peace activities which include the co-chairmanship of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) and several other peace initiatives, which have helped in no small measure in the promotion of peace and the stability of our nation.
The Clerics sympathized with all who have been affected by the killings and other actions of terror in one way or the other, adding they feel their pain, but called for “understanding and calm as we continue to agitate for peace and security of our nation”.
The Bishops sounded a note of caution to some religious leaders who are involved in the habit of incitement of the youth through wrong teaching and doctrines which tend to encourage killings and terror, urging them to “desist from this as the presence of peace does not imply the absence of justice. We encourage the government not to spare anyone involved in such act by bringing them to book”.
