The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has urged all citizens to sustain the unity among them in the country, saying that of the nations of the world where Muslims and Christians coexist, Nigeria stands out despite the religious differences.

The Sultan then admonished Nigerians to maintain the tempo of peaceful coexistence despite ethno-religious inclination, adding that religion should not be used as a tool of hatred by the people.

The Royal father spoke on Saturday at the commissioning ceremony of DARUL ILM (Center for Islamic studies), and subsequently named as President Bola Tinubu Centre for Islamic Studies.

Sultan Abubakar expressed gratitude to the DSS boss for the donation of the Islamic center despite being a Christian.

According to the Sultan of Sokoto, “We have challenges, but there is hope in this country if we can all do this. Nigeria is great, it will be great. We believe in our unity to surmount all our challenges. It is important to note that we are going through tough time, but Nigeria is not the only country going through such difficult time. We can surmount our problems in this country. We should do our best.”

“If we know that we have problems, then it is half solved. We must pray for our President, governors and other leaders. The problems of this country are not insurmountable.

“We must come together to solve our problems. We have so many resources in Nigeria, including human and mineral resources. Let’s not lose sight of those who are envious of Nigeria because Nigeria is the only country that belongs to us, and it is that we know.”

Meanwhile, the school, which was built and donated by the Director-General of the DSS, through support from his friends and associates, was later named after President Bola Tinubu at the occasion.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abass Tajudeen, represented by the Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Yusuf Liman, was asked by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar lll, to move a motion to name the Islamic school after the President.

Thereafter, the Speaker directed a former Minority Leader of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Mohammed Ali, to move the motion for the renaming of the “Darul Ilm Centre for Islamic Studies” after the President, which was seconded by the former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Yusuf Ibrahim Zailani.

The Director General of DSS, Ajayi, was represented by Alhaji Ahmed Zalmar, a retired DSS Director at the inauguration and second Quranic graduation ceremony of 22 students at the school.

He said that the initiative was part of his efforts to build trust between the government and the general public and to promote internal security through constructive citizen engagement, interfaith dialogue, and policy discourse.

“I have initiated measures aimed at building trust between the Government and the general public to bolster internal security through constructive citizen engagement, interfaith dialogue and policy discourse,” he said.

Ajayi explained that the law empowered DSS to prevent five major threats to the internal security of Nigeria, which include espionage, insurgency, sabotage, subversion and terrorism.

Also speaking at the event, the Chief host, Governor Uba Sani, said the school represented hope, opportunity, and a commitment to education and humanity.

Sani, represented by his Deputy, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, praised the DSS director-general’s vision and selflessness, reaffirming his government’s efforts to address poverty, insecurity, and inequality.

Sani said his administration prioritised education, therefore allocating a significant portion of the budget to reduce out-of-school syndrome, construct classrooms, and recruit qualified teachers.

He encouraged the graduates to uphold values of integrity, discipline, and compassion and to be agents of positive change in their communities.