In the midst of the ongoing dethronement controversy, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has advised the Nigerian Army to steer clear of tribalism.
He said that permitting such influences could cause divisions within the army and the nation.
According to Daily Trust, the Sultan made the plea during the commissioning of the newly constructed Nigerian Army Armoured Corps Headquarters complex in Bauchi on Wednesday.
Recall that a religious organisation, the Muslims Rights Concern (MURIC), had alleged a plot by the state government to depose the Sultan.
Subsequently, Vice President Kashim Shettima on Monday said the throne of the Sultan is an institution that must be jealously guarded and protected.
But Abubakar, the Sultan, on Wednesday, said: “You are in the military now and so many things have been geared towards where you come from, who is a Muslim? Who is a Christian? Who is Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba in the country? We never knew these things so many years ago. Please, don’t allow this thing to creep into the army for that would be one thing that would divide the army and even the country.”
The Sultan also cautioned citizens to stop maligning military personnel engaged in various operations to restore peace across the country, adding:
“Nigerians need to help and pray for the military because without security we can not even go to sleep, we can not go to our work and even go to worship centres.”
