Former Inspector-General of Police, Mike Okiro, has urged Nigerians to rise above religious and ethnic divisions and embrace national unity, describing tolerance and mutual respect as critical pillars for peace and national development.
Okiro made the call during the commissioning of a newly renovated Juma’at Mosque and modern ablution facility at the Police Secondary School (PSS), Minna, Niger State, a project executed through the Sir Mike Okiro Foundation to provide Muslim students and staff with a conducive place of worship within the school environment.
At the event, the former police chief, who is a Christian, said his faith compels him to serve humanity irrespective of religion, stressing that Nigerians have far more in common than the issues that divide them.
“When I observed that our Muslim brothers and sisters in this school had nowhere decent to pray, my conscience would not let me walk away”
“We all worship the same God. What binds us together is far greater than what divides us,” Okiro stated.
He added that no student should be forced to choose between education and religious obligations, noting that the mosque project represents a deliberate effort to promote inclusion, unity and peaceful coexistence among young Nigerians.
The mosque project comes barely a year after Okiro facilitated the construction of a Catholic church within the same institution, commissioned in 2025, further reinforcing his advocacy for interfaith harmony and religious tolerance.
Describing the mosque as “a small structure with a big message,” Okiro urged students to respect one another’s beliefs and embrace diversity as a strength rather than a source of conflict.
In recognition of his contributions to peacebuilding and national unity, the Emir of Kagara, Ahmed Garba Attahiru II, who represented the Emir of Minna, Umar Bahago, announced the conferment of the traditional title of Sarkin-Haske of Niger State on the former IGP.
The royal father commended Okiro’s leadership and commitment to strengthening interfaith relations, noting that such gestures are vital in addressing Nigeria’s social and security challenges.
“To renovate a Friday mosque demonstrates the kind of synergy that should exist between the police and the people,” the Emir said.
Representing the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, the Niger State Commissioner of Police, Elleman Adamu, described Okiro as a father figure and a consistent promoter of peaceful coexistence.
Also speaking, the Niger State Commissioner for Homeland Security, Maurice Magaji, urged Nigerians to see one another as one family, regardless of tribe or religion, while the Commandant of the school, Haruna Ibrahim, described the project as a practical demonstration of “faith in action.”
The event attracted religious leaders, security officials and community stakeholders from across the state.
Shortly after the ceremony, Okiro paid a private visit to former military President, Ibrahim Babangida, at his Hilltop Mansion in Minna for a closed-door meeting.
