The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has called for stringent measures to curb the increasing menace of insurgency, cattle rustling and kidnappings.

He made the call in Sokoto on Friday in his Sallah message to the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria.

The sultan said that all Nigerians, both the leaders and the led, were concerned over the loss of lives in the North East and other parts of the country.

Abubakar also noted with concern the increasing spate of cattle rustling in Sokoto and Zamfara states, as well as kidnappings across the nation.

He appealed to the government to involve traditional rulers and other key stakeholders to eliminate these crimes.

The monarch appealed to the Muslim Ummah to sustain the lessons learnt during the Ramadan fast.

Abubakar also urged Nigerians to continue to live in peace with one another, irrespective of religious, ethnic and political differences.

”God has a reason for creating us as Nigerians and with diverse backgrounds. We should continue to live our lives according to the teachings of our religions.

”We should continue to pray fervently for sustained peace and unity in Nigeria, as well as for the success of the three tiers of government.

”Nigerians had yearned for change and God had brought it with the successful conduct of the recent general elections.”

The sultan, however, urged Nigerians to be the change they had yearned and voted for, adding: ”all of us must change for the better.”

Abubakar also expressed confidence that the elected leaders in the country would not fail Nigerians.

He also appealed to Nigerians to pray for them and never curse, stressing that such acts had negative repercussions.

Abubakar also advocated for a law on the compulsory enrolment of children in schools, expressing regret Nigeria was lagging behind in the West African sub-region in this direction.

The monarch further called for sustained efforts to ensure the success of the forthcoming Hajj exercise in terms of transportation and accommodation on intending pilgrims.

The event was attended by the second republic President Shehu Shagari and Gov. Aminu Tambuwal, among other dignitaries.

The two raka’at Eid prayers conducted successfully at various prayer grounds across the state.