Sokoto Caliphate is not a “terrorist organisation”

By PROF ABDULLAHI DANLADI

Since the Trump administration weaponized the narrative of “Christian persecution” in Nigeria, a machinery of anti-Islam propaganda has been at work—driven by groups and individuals whose motives are far from sincere.

A dangerous and intellectually bankrupt video is currently circulating online, alleging that there is a “proposal” to declare the Sokoto Caliphate an international terrorist organization. This is not an innocent mistake; it is a deliberate, calculated provocation designed to ignite religious hostility, distort historical truth, and create needless tension between Muslims and Christians in Nigeria.

Since the Trump administration weaponized the narrative of “Christian persecution” in Nigeria, a machinery of anti-Islam propaganda has been at work—driven by groups and individuals whose motives are far from sincere. These actors, both local and foreign, deliberately distort Nigerian realities to fit Western evangelical geopolitical agendas. They thrive on manufacturing fear, demonizing Islam, and mislabeling centuries-old Islamic institutions using modern extremist terminology.

Their latest target is the Sokoto Caliphate—one of the most sophisticated, intellectually vibrant, and historically documented civilizations in West African history.

The question we must ask is simple: Who benefits from this lie?
Certainly not ordinary Nigerians. Not Christians. Not Muslims. For centuries, Nigerians have lived side by side, long before colonial borders were imposed.

Those who benefit are the opportunists—foreign resource exploiters, domestic political manipulators, and digital propagandists—who view Nigeria not as a nation but as a tool for their own interests. For such people, harmony is an obstacle, and unity is a threat. To destroy a people, you first attack their symbols, their identity, and their history.

That is precisely what is happening now.

Let it be stated clearly and without any ambiguity: THE SOKOTO CALIPHATE WAS NEVER A TERRORIST ENTITY.

It was a state, a civilization, and a refined system of governance built on scholarship, justice, moral discipline, and administrative order. Even European historians—who had every incentive to demonize it—documented its sophistication.

Usman dan Fodio’s jihad was not terrorism. It was a movement for societal reform, a rejection of corruption, a revival of Islamic education, and a call for moral responsibility. It established a structured system of law, governance, learning, and economic coordination that shaped the region for more than a century.

To equate such a scholarly and administrative civilization with terrorism is not only historically ignorant; it is morally irresponsible and intellectually dishonest.

Those promoting this narrative must understand that this is not merely a religious insult. It is a direct attack on the dignity, identity, and heritage of millions of Muslims. Muslims tolerate many things and ignore many provocations, but the legacy of the Caliphate, the dignity of Shehu Usman dan Fodio, and the scholarship of his successors represent a red line that cannot be crossed.

Those behind this plot—whether seated in foreign think tanks or hiding behind local religious sensationalism—must recognize that they are playing with a fire far beyond their control.

Nigeria is not a playground for ideological adventurism. It is not a laboratory for foreign propaganda. It is not a tool for destabilization. Anyone who genuinely desires peace in this country must reject this poisonous fabrication before it triggers unnecessary chaos.

Declaring the Sokoto Caliphate a terrorist organization is not only an insult to Islam; it is an assault on historical truth, a threat to national cohesion, and a demonstration of the moral bankruptcy of its promoters.

Enough of this rubbish. Enough of this reckless narrative.

The Sokoto Caliphate is a sacred heritage—built on knowledge, justice, governance, and moral order. It cannot and will not be reduced to a caricature to feed the malicious imagination of those who profit from division.

This plot has been exposed, and it is rejected completely.

Professor Abdullahi Danladi
Adanladi08@gmail.com
‪(+234) 8039208479‬.

4/12/2025.