{"id":195400,"date":"2026-02-19T12:42:56","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T11:42:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/uncategorized\/niger-christians-oppose-proposed-hisbah-commission-bill"},"modified":"2026-02-19T13:46:48","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T12:46:48","slug":"niger-christians-oppose-proposed-hisbah-commission-bill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/niger-christians-oppose-proposed-hisbah-commission-bill","title":{"rendered":"Niger Christians oppose proposed Hisbah Commission Bill"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Nigeria. <\/strong><\/span>The Niger State Concerned Christian Advocates have have kicked against the proposed Hisbah Commission Bill currently before the Niger State House of Assembly, warning that its passage could undermine constitutional principles and social harmony in the state.<\/p>\n

The position was contained in a communique\u0301 issued by the Chairman, Amb. Marshal Okoro, after the group\u2019s emergency stakeholders\u2019 meeting held in Minna on February 17, 2026.<\/p>\n

The statement, signed by the Chairman, Amb. Marsha, said members unanimously resolved to oppose the bill in its entirety.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe unequivocally reject the proposed Hisbah Commission Bill and call on the Niger State Government to reconsider this legislation in the broader interest of constitutional integrity and peaceful coexistence,\u201d Okoro stated.<\/p>\n

While acknowledging the government\u2019s responsibility to promote security, public order and moral values, the group argued that institutionalising a religious enforcement commission in a plural and multi-faith society raises serious concerns.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe creation of a state-backed religious enforcement body within a diverse state like Niger may be interpreted as conferring institutional preference on a particular faith,\u201d the communique\u0301 noted.<\/p>\n

The advocates cited Sections 10 and 38(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), emphasizing that government must not adopt any religion as a state religion and must guarantee citizens\u2019 freedom of thought, conscience and religion.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny structure that appears to enforce religious norms through state mechanisms risks undermining these constitutional safeguards,\u201d the group stated.<\/p>\n

On the social implications, the organization warned that the proposed commission could heighten religious sensitivities and deepen societal divisions.<\/p>\n

According to the statement, \u201cNiger State has enjoyed decades of interfaith coexistence, and policies that risk polarizing communities should be carefully reconsidered.\u201d<\/p>\n

The group also raised economic concerns, noting that the state faces pressing development challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt a time when economic revitalization is urgently needed, legislation perceived as exclusionary may discourage investors and weaken business confidence,\u201d Okoro added.<\/p>\n

Aligning fully with the position of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Niger State Chapter, the advocates called on members of the State House of Assembly to reconsider the bill while urging Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago to withhold assent should the bill be passed.<\/p>\n

The communique\u0301 then added, \u201cWe remain committed to constitutional democracy, religious freedom and the socio-economic advancement of Niger State. We are open to constructive engagement that promotes unity, justice and peace for all citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Nigeria<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Nigeria. The Niger State Concerned Christian Advocates have have kicked against the proposed Hisbah Commission Bill currently before the Niger State House of Assembly, warning that its passage could undermine constitutional principles and social harmony in the state. The position was contained in a communique\u0301 issued by the Chairman, Amb. Marshal Okoro, after […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":195399,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,14],"tags":[254],"class_list":["post-195400","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-nigeria"],"yoast_head":"\nNiger Christians oppose proposed Hisbah Commission Bill - Nigeria<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Niger State Concerned Christian Advocates have have kicked against the proposed Hisbah Commission Bill currently bef ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/niger-christians-oppose-proposed-hisbah-commission-bill\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Niger Christians oppose proposed Hisbah Commission Bill\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Niger State Concerned Christian Advocates have have kicked against the proposed Hisbah Commission Bill currently bef ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/niger-christians-oppose-proposed-hisbah-commission-bill\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Nigeria\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-19T11:42:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-19T12:46:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/sites\/3\/2026\/02\/sm_1771505191.786586.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"923\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/niger-christians-oppose-proposed-hisbah-commission-bill#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/niger-christians-oppose-proposed-hisbah-commission-bill\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Niger Christians oppose proposed Hisbah Commission Bill\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-19T11:42:56+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-19T12:46:48+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/niger-christians-oppose-proposed-hisbah-commission-bill\"},\"wordCount\":398,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/niger-christians-oppose-proposed-hisbah-commission-bill#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/sites\/3\/2026\/02\/sm_1771505191.786586.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Nigeria\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"Policy\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/niger-christians-oppose-proposed-hisbah-commission-bill#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/niger-christians-oppose-proposed-hisbah-commission-bill\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/niger-christians-oppose-proposed-hisbah-commission-bill\",\"name\":\"Niger Christians oppose proposed Hisbah Commission Bill - 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