Top Islamic clerics in Lagos have warned Nigerians against participating in protests they do not fully understand, cautioning that demonstrations can easily be hijacked by violent actors.
The warning was issued by the League of Chief Imams during the 2026 Ramadan Tafsir/Iftar programme held at Lagos House. The clerics spoke through Sheikh Abdulrahman Ahmad, national missioner and chief imam of the Ansar -Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria.
According to a statement by the Lagos State Government on Wednesday, the clerics addressed Nigerians who recently protested in solidarity with Iran following the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamanei during strikes by the United States and Israel.
Members of the South-West chapter of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria staged protests in Lagos on Monday over Khamenei’s death, raising concerns among clerics about the potential for the demonstrations to turn violent.
Addressing government officials, Islamic scholars and Muslim faithful at the event, Ahmad cautioned Nigerians to avoid protests whose implications they do not fully understand.
“Don’t join a protest that you don’t know anything about,” he said. “Your intention may be pure, but you do not know the next person who will hide under that protest to cause mayhem and destruction.”
He referenced the EndSars Protests, noting that demonstrations that began as a campaign against police brutality were later hijacked by hoodlums who destroyed public and private property across Lagos and other states.
Ahmad warned that a repeat of such destruction, especially in reaction to a foreign conflict, could have severe consequences for the country.
“We are not happy that our brothers and fellow human beings are being attacked daily, but if we cannot be part of the solution, we should not be part of the problem,” he said.
Citing Islamic teachings, the cleric also warned against “fitnah,” a term referring to civil strife or chaos, saying such unrest often affects both the guilty and the innocent.
“The crisis in the Middle East is fitnah,” Ahmad said. “This is a time for prayer and sober reflection, not protests or upheaval.”
He also warned that the ongoing Middle East conflict could drive up fuel prices in Nigeria as disruptions affect global oil supply chains.
“I told the congregation to prepare for an increase in fuel prices,” he said. “It could even rise to about N2,000 per litre.”
The clerics also urged religious leaders to use their pulpits responsibly during the Ramadan and Lent seasons by promoting peace rather than fueling division.
Ahmad called on Nigerians to pray for victims of the Middle East conflict and for stability in the country, instead of engaging in protests that could spiral out of control.
