Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has warned that opposition figures would push back if the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government continues what he described as the misuse of state institutions to target non-APC members.

Mohammed spoke in Bauchi on Friday while receiving an award as Safety Ambassador from the Safety Institute of Nigeria. He said the nature of politics in the country had taken a troubling turn.

The governor claimed he was recently accused of terrorism and expressed concern over the continued detention of one of his commissioners by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He also faulted the mention of his name in a court motion despite enjoying constitutional immunity as a sitting governor.

According to him, the federal government was deploying institutions such as the courts and anti-graft agencies to harass and prosecute political opponents.

“Politics has become something else in Nigeria,” Mohammed said. “The APC-led federal government thinks it can use the courts and institutions of government, like the EFCC, to persecute and prosecute Nigerians who are not in their party. If they don’t stop, we’re going to declare war,” he said.

Former presidential aide, Bashir Ahmad, has condemned the threats issued by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) against Christians, insisting that the group’s actions have no connection to Islam or its teachings.

Ahmad made the statement in a post on his official X handle on Friday, reacting to reports that ISWAP had threatened Christians with death unless they convert to Islam or pay a jizyah tax.

Nigerian Newssphere reports that the terrorist group recently circulated images of a Christian community in Adamawa State set ablaze, alongside a message declaring Christians in Nigeria as legitimate targets while offering them the option to convert or pay tax to avoid violence.

Responding to the development, Ahmad said the actions of ISWAP amount to a gross distortion of Islamic principles, stressing that Islam does not permit coercion or violence in matters of faith.

According to him, the Qur’an clearly states that there is no compulsion in religion, noting that Muslims historically lived peacefully alongside non-Muslims during the time of Prophet Muhammad in Makkah and Madinah, guided by justice, mutual respect and shared humanity.

Ahmad described ISWAP’s campaign of intimidation and violence as a betrayal of Islam and humanity, adding that such acts are wholly condemnable and stand in opposition to the true values of the religion.