KADUNA/Nigeria: The Christian Media Forum (CMF) has called on security agencies and the Kaduna State Government to investigate an alleged directive requiring women, including non-Muslims, to wear hijab in Kinkinau community, Kaduna State, warning that the development could threaten religious harmony.
The forum said compelling women to observe religious practices that conflict with their personal beliefs would undermine freedom of religion, peaceful coexistence and the rights of residents in a religiously diverse society.
Its position was contained in a statement jointly signed by the National President, Okpani Jacob Onjewu Dickson, and the National Secretary, Andrew Ibrahim Mshelia, who described the reported directive as provocative and unnecessary.
The CMF expressed concern that the alleged action could create divisions among residents, recalling Kaduna State’s history of religious disagreements and communal tensions. It urged individuals and community leaders to avoid actions or pronouncements capable of disturbing the peace.
According to the forum, every citizen should be free to practise their religion without intimidation or pressure from individuals or groups. It maintained that no community has the right to impose religious obligations on people who do not subscribe to the faith concerned.
The organisation also questioned the timing of the alleged directive, arguing that communities across Kaduna State should be united in confronting insecurity rather than engaging in issues capable of deepening religious divisions.
It warned that inflammatory statements or actions could be exploited by individuals seeking to provoke hostility between Christians and Muslims, potentially escalating an otherwise manageable disagreement into a wider crisis.
The forum therefore urged security agencies to establish the circumstances surrounding the reported directive and take appropriate preventive steps. It stressed that authorities should act promptly rather than wait for tensions to develop into violence.
It also appealed to the Kaduna State Government, led by Governor Uba Sani, to intervene and ensure that the rights and dignity of residents are protected, irrespective of their religious, ethnic or cultural backgrounds.
The CMF called on residents to remain calm and law-abiding, emphasising that the fight against insecurity requires cooperation among citizens, government institutions and security agencies.
It said mutual respect and unity across religious lines remain essential to sustaining peace and preventing avoidable conflict in the state.
