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Claim: An X user shared a statement allegedly attributed to the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Abubakar, warning the Yorubas against provoking the Igbos.
Verdict: Insufficient Evidence! There is no evidence that the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Abubakar, issued a cautionary warning to the Yoruba elders against provoking tension with the Igbo people.
Full Text
For decades, social media users have used the media space to amplify discussions surrounding ethnic animosity and diversity, fueling hate speech and bigotry, particularly among the Igbos and their Yoruba extraction.
Given this backstory, on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, an X user, @Igifechukwu, shared a statement attributed to the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Abubakar, issuing a cautious warning to the Yoruba elders against provoking tension with the Igbo people.
“BREAKING NEWS: “Don’t Joke With History — Nigeria Didn’t Defeat the Igbos, It Was a Global Alliance,” Sultan of Sokoto Warns Yoruba Elders.
The X user wrote that the northern ruler allegedly insinuated that it is misleading to say that Nigeria “won” the civil war against the Biafrans. The Sultan, in the statement, praised the Igbos for their resilience during the first civil war despite continuous attacks and international blockades from Britain, America, and five other world powers.
The statement also mentioned that no African nation could withstand such pressure and isolation as the Igbo people.
As of Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, the post had attracted 119,000 views, 2,110 likes, 1,070 reposts, 328 bookmarks, and 85 quotes.
Other X users expressed support and scepticism towards the post in the comment section.
One user, @EngrICO2015, wrote, “This man is the problem of Nigeria, I keep saying it. The Fulani will always want to fix the southeast against the southwest so they will benefit from the disunity…”
“This time, even Nigeria would not stand a chance because there would be other countries that would be interested in the southeast’s natural resources too…,” @EONBlogger asserted.
Doubting its veracity, @BiodunAdeyanju1 stated, “With deep respect to the Sultan, no statement of this nature has been credited to any Yoruba leader, either monarchs, political or business leaders…”
The statement’s implications for Nigeria’s ethnic-political setting and the high-profile personality attached to the claim prompted DUBAWA to verify it.
Verification
DUBAWA conducted an extensive Google search on the alleged statement attributed to the Sultan, but found no corroborating evidence.
His latest comments, published by media outlets, were a reaction to reports of an increasing Christian genocide in the northern part of Nigeria. We also found his call for the Federal Government to regulate the use of social media, to curb fake news and disunity in the country.
Meanwhile, during our search, we found a report by The Defender, debunking the Sultan’s alleged statements.
Part of the report reads, “This sitting Sultan of Sokoto Caliphate, His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni, did not say these things that this purveyor of mischievous report peddling.”
The publication was written by Bashir Adefaka, the newspaper editor, who also serves as the media aide to the Sultan of Sokoto. He has debunked similar statements falsely attributed to the Sultan, as seen here and here.
Meanwhile, a thorough search on the Sultan’s X and Instagram handles shows no similar statement or comment corroborating the claimant’s assertion.
Conclusion
There is no evidence that the Sultan of Sokoto made that statement. The claim can only be found on social media platforms, without being published in trusted mainstream media.
