SOKOTO — Mass protests erupted across the streets of Sokoto on Monday as hundreds of demonstrators gathered to condemn the recent killings of top Iranian leadership, issuing a stern warning to President Bola Tinubu to intervene against the United States and Israel.
The atmosphere in the caliphate city turned volatile as protesters, mourning the reported deaths of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his acting successor, Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, demanded that the federal government take a decisive stand against what they termed “international terrorism” by Washington and Tel Aviv.
“Iran is Our Blood”
The demonstrators, many of whom are members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), brandished portraits of the fallen Iranian leaders and burnt flags of the United States and Israel. Speakers at the rally warned that their patience with the current administration’s silence was “running out.”
“We are calling on Mr. Tinubu to call Trump and Israel to order before we do the needful,” one protest leader declared. “Iran is our blood brothers. If this government fails to act, we may be forced to travel to Iran to support them. Don’t let us do what we will regret; we have the power to do and undo.”
The group issued a specific deadline for the federal government to issue a formal condemnation of the airstrikes, threatening to take “further action” if the presidency remains indifferent to the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Security Red Alert
In response to the growing unrest, the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has placed the Sokoto State Police Command and other northern formations on red alert. Intelligence reports suggest that the rhetoric has shifted from peaceful mourning to active threats of mobilization.
Security sources indicate that the authorities are monitoring the situation closely to ensure that the international conflict does not ignite sectarian violence within Nigeria’s borders. “We respect the right to peaceful assembly, but we will not tolerate any attempt to incite violence or threaten the sovereignty of the state,” a senior police official stated.
A Diplomatic Tightrope
The protest places President Tinubu in a difficult diplomatic position. While Nigeria maintains strong ties with the West, the deep ideological and religious connection between Iranian leadership and segments of Nigeria’s northern population remains a sensitive domestic issue.
As the death toll in Iran reportedly climbs past 550 following recent strikes, the federal government has remained cautious. While the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) confirmed they have not yet received distress calls from citizens in Tehran, the domestic pressure from Sokoto suggests that the “Iranian Question” is fast becoming a local security priority.
