Niger State cleric suspended for 'Boko Haram-style preaching' The Niger State government has said it will submit a report to securi...

 Niger State cleric suspended for 'Boko Haram-style preaching'

The Niger State government has said it will submit a report to security agencies to continue investigating an Islamic cleric it suspended after he was accused of spreading 'Boko Haram beliefs'.

The chairman of the Niger State Religious Affairs Commission, Umar Faruk, told the BBC that the cleric was suspended following an investigation by the Niger State government into him.

He said "a committee we formed called him and we spoke to him, and we discovered that he is not even educated."

According to him, the cleric operates in Tafa, Niger State, where he owns an Islamic school and has followers who attend his classes.

"When we observed that his conduct, beliefs and claims are a threat to the security of Niger State and national security, we decided to suspend him and close his school until security agencies investigate him," Sheikh Faruk said.

He added that the cleric was calling on his followers to boycott elections and all that has to do with democracy.

Nigeria has been struggling for over 10 years with the Boko Haram insurgency that has plagued the northeast of Nigeria and other West African countries.

The country is also struggling with the problem of bandits who kidnap and kill people in the northwest of the country.

The cleric has also caused controversy in the northern part of Nigeria due to his frequent comments against several Islamic scholars in the region.