MINNA — The Niger State government in Nigeria has introduced a ban on religious preaching, requiring all preachers to obtain a licence from the state’s Ministry of Religious Affairs. The directive, which was confirmed by the Director-General of Religious Affairs, Umar Farooq, has a two-month grace period for preachers to comply.
According to Farooq, “Any preacher who wants to preach must secure a licence between now and the next two months. 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.”
The new policy has been met with a mix of reactions from religious and public figures. The Chief Imam of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Bashir Yankuzo, supported the need for checks on preachers who use inciting language but maintained that preaching is a divine command that the government cannot halt.
Conversely, Raphael Opawoye, secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State, stated that his organization was not aware of the directive and would issue an official response once formally notified. Islamic scholar Ustaz Hassan stressed that such a regulation should first be passed through the State House of Assembly, while journalist Uthman Siraja described the move as a violation of freedom of worship, arguing that only those who incite the public should be sanctioned. The journalist suggested that a blanket restriction is not the right approach.
Source: ladunliadinews
