Under the soaring canopy of Kano’s ancient city, where thousands of Islamic scholars and international delegates gathered for the Grand Maulud of Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tijani on Sunday, August 9, 2026, a solemn message resounded: standard silence in the face of violence is no longer an option.
​Delivering President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s goodwill address to the World Khalifa of the Tijjaniyya Order and religious scholars from across West and North Africa, SGF George Akume articulated a stark moral line separating true faith from criminal cruelty.
​”Your voices must be raised consistently against the murder of innocent people, against terrorism, kidnapping, banditry and the misuse of religion to justify cruelty. Above all, our spiritual fathers must continue to teach that no genuine service to Allah is advanced by destroying the innocent human life that Allah has made sacred.” President Bola Ahmed Tinubu quoted in address delivered by SGF George Akume.
​The address tasked religious leaders with deploying their widespread networks toward peace education, religious literacy, and counter-radicalization programs for youth. While acknowledging that spiritual fathers must hold state authorities accountable to principles of justice and compassion, the President noted that citizens must also understand that valid social grievances can never justify lawlessness or armed banditry.
​The address framed the gathering within a global security crisis, citing United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) figures revealing that 117.8 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide at the close of 2025 due to armed conflict, violent extremism, and environmental shocks.
​With prominent delegations present from Senegal, Morocco, Algeria, and Egypt, President Tinubu urged the Tijjaniyya order to channel its transnational moral influence toward conflict resolution and peacebuilding across the Sahel and Gulf of Guinea.
​The gathering also observed a moment of reflection honoring the late Islamic scholar Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, paying tribute to his legacy of piety, peace advocacy, and Qur’anic scholarship.
