Stop linking banditry to Islam, Oluwo tells Nigerians

The Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, has appealed to Nigerians to desist from linking the activities of bandits and other criminal elements to Islam, describing such narratives as unfair and misleading.

The monarch said bandits have no religion and should be seen strictly as criminals rather than representatives of any faith.

In a statement released by his Press Secretary, Alli Ibrahim, in Osogbo, Oluwo emphasised that the characteristics typically associated with practicing Muslims are absent among bandits.

He noted that there are no mosques in the camps where these bandits operate, and they do not observe the mandatory Islamic prayers that are required of Muslims.

“Bandits have no religion. Have you ever seen where bandits observe Solat? They might be wearing turbans, but not only Muslims wear turbans. People in the desert who are not Muslims also wear turbans,” he stated.

The royal father further explained that speaking Arabic should not be interpreted as evidence of being a Muslim, pointing out that millions of non-Muslims across the Arab world communicate in the language.

“Many churches in Arab countries use Arabic language to preach. We have people in Islamic-populated countries who are not Muslims but speak Arabic,” he added.

Oba Akanbi expressed concern over what he described as a coordinated attempt to portray Islam negatively because of the actions of criminal groups, warning that such stereotypes could fuel religious intolerance and disunity.

He blamed the increasing activities of bandits on the failure of successive governments to effectively tackle insecurity and address underlying socio-economic challenges.

The monarch, therefore, called on the authorities to consider legal actions against individuals who use social media platforms to spread narratives that unfairly stigmatise Muslims and Islam.