The Niger state government has banned public preaching, directing clerics to obtain a licence before they can preach publicly.
Director-General of the Niger state religious affairs, Umar Farooq confirmed the development.
“It is true, the State Government has banned preaching. Any preacher who wants to preach must secure a licence between now and the next two months,” Farooq told Punch.
He said preachers are required to obtain forms from the agency, after which they will face a screening panel before being cleared to preach.
Reacting to the directive, Bashir Yankuzo, chief imam of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, said the government cannot stop preaching but can regulate it where security is threatened.
“My opinion is that preaching is a command. The government is not paying anyone for doing the job; people are preaching in order to earn the pleasure of God. So, the government cannot dictate who to preach to and who not to preach.
“The government cannot dictate who to preach to and who not to preach. But at the same time, if there are people who are going out of their way to cause security threats,” he said.
However, Raphael Opawoye, secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger state, said the group was not aware of the directive.
“The Christian Association of Nigeria is not aware of the ban. We shall come up with a statement when we are officially informed,” he said.
