Shehu Sani: Three reasons terrorists target Northern clerics
Former Senator Shehu Sani reveals three common factors linking assassinations of prominent Northern clerics over the past 15 years. In a post on his verified X account Tuesday, Sani listed: speaking out against extremism, advocating inter-religious tolerance, and naming terror leaders or groups in sermons.
Sani, who represented Kaduna Central, shared a 2011 incident where he and ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo visited Maiduguri for peace talks. The facilitator of that dialogue was killed the next day, and both men received threats. "All the prominent clerics that have been assassinated in the North in the last fifteen years were killed for speaking out against terrorism. The terrorists want silence, or they will silence," Sani said.
The pattern exposes a deliberate campaign to eliminate moderate religious voices that challenge extremist narratives. Clerics who bridge Muslim-Christian divides or publicly identify terror operatives face targeted killings. This silencing effect undermines community resilience against radicalization.
Northern states have lost influential imams and pastors who preached coexistence—creating leadership vacuums that extremists exploit. Security agencies have rarely prosecuted perpetrators, deepening impunity.
What protection measures should exist for religious leaders who confront extremism publicly? And how can communities sustain interfaith dialogue when its champions are systematically eliminated?