The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has said that insurgency in the Northeast is a punishment from God on Nigerians for their sins.

Abubakar stated this while speaking on Thursday in Abuja at the 5th International Conference on “Love and Tolerance: Countering Violent Extremism for Peaceful Coexistence”.

He advised Nigerians to adhere to the teachings of the Quran and the Bible to help them escape the wrath of God.

He said: “The security challenge is our problem. The Holy Quran is a message to mankind. The Holy Bible is a message to mankind. If we cannot listen to what the Bible and Quran have taught us and we continue in our bad ways, what do we expect?

“It is part of the punishment we are receiving based on our sins. If we can stop committing sin and abide by God’s words, things will change.

“It is part of the punishment we are receiving based on our sins. If we can stop committing sin and abide by God’s words, things will change.”

The Sultan also urged Nigerians not to be afraid because the country possesses what it takes to defeat terrorism.

He added: “We are appealing to everyone to live together and be our brother’s keeper and live in harmony. We should not create problems for each other.

“We can win the fight against insurgency. Everyone is afraid of each other, but I am sure that we are going to win the war. Today, it has reached a situation where a senior citizen is running away from the common man, because, he is thinking that he would lose his life, why?”