I will never denigrate Islam, I have been sponsoring people to Makkah for 25 years – Akpabio
By KEMI KASUMU
“I love the Muslim religion. I send people to Mecca to pray for me and to pray for this country, and I do that even up to yesterday, and I have been doing that since the last 25 years,” he said.
Senate President God’swill Akpabio has defended his controversial remarks about suicide bombers and religious beliefs, insisting that he would never denigrate Islam, a religion he said he had supported for decades.
Akpabio reportedly spoke during plenary on Thursday while responding to criticism of his comments during a debate on the Suicide Prevention Bill 2026, which sparked accusations that he had disparaged Muslims.
The controversy followed his remarks on Tuesday when lawmakers considered the bill sponsored by Asuquo Ekpenyong, senator representing Cross River South.
During the debate, Akpabio said some young people contemplate suicide because “they believe seven virgins await them in the afterlife”.
Responding to the backlash, the Senate President said his comments during legislative proceedings had been taken out of context and misrepresented for political purposes.
“I love the Muslim religion. I send people to Mecca to pray for me and to pray for this country, and I do that even up to yesterday, and I have been doing that since the last 25 years,” he said.
“So I don’t know why people go and sit down on television and they try to misinterpret what we say here because politics is coming.”
Akpabio said disagreements among lawmakers were part of the legislative process, urging Nigerians to assess debates within their proper context rather than interpret opposing views as attacks on particular groups.
“I don’t like the idea of people sitting down on television and trying to misinterpret what we discuss here in the Senate,” he said.
“We want to make the best laws, so we are bound to oppose each other, and we are also bound to support each other.”
To further defend his position, Akpabio cited his record of supporting religious pilgrimages while serving as governor. He said he had sponsored 5,800 Muslims to the holy land and more than 10,000 Christians to Rome and Jerusalem.
He also highlighted his personal relationships with Muslims, including members of his security team, as evidence that he had no intention of speaking against Islam.
“My ADC for 19 years is a Muslim. I don’t recognise him as a Muslim. I recognise him as a brother; he’s from Azare in Bauchi State, the same thing with my CSO,” he said.
Akpabio added that more than 65 per cent of the people working for him were Muslims.
“There’s no way I will talk down on Muslim religion, so people who go out there to talk should study the personalities involved,” he said.
The Senate President also cautioned against associating terrorism with any religion, arguing that individuals who carry out suicide attacks should not use religious beliefs to justify their actions.
“Terrorists are not Muslims. Terrorists are not Christians. Terrorists are human beings who believe in taking their lives and the lives of others,” he said.
He maintained that Islam prohibits suicide and killing, disputing the suggestion that the religion teaches that those who take their own lives would attain paradise.
“The Muslim religion that I know forbids suicide; it forbids killing,” he said.
Akpabio further referenced the Criminal Code and Penal Code, which he said treat suicide as a criminal act. He urged lawmakers to distinguish between people experiencing mental health challenges and those who deliberately take their own lives while physically sound.
He also called on Nigerians to consider the Senate’s final decisions when assessing contentious debates rather than focusing on isolated comments made during proceedings.
“No matter the discussion, please take the final decision of the Senate into consideration,” he said.
