Nigeria Must Put Humanity Above Religion To Win The Fight Against Insecurity

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By Editorial Team

Nigeria is passing through one of the most difficult security moments in its history, and the only honest path forward is to admit that our divisions are weakening our fight. Every time a tragedy happens, many people rush to explain it through the lens of religion. Some frame the killings as Christian suffering, while others insist Muslims are being targeted. This habit has done more damage than good because it keeps shifting attention away from the real problem. Our common enemy is not Christianity or Islam. Our enemy is the network of violent groups, criminals, and opportunists who exploit our national weaknesses. Until we accept this truth, we will continue to struggle.

Nigeria’s crisis has dragged for so long because we often choose emotional explanations instead of objective analysis. Instead of asking serious questions about intelligence failures, corruption in the security sector, or the weakness of our institutions, we retreat into religious corners. That pattern has made it difficult for the country to build the united front needed to defeat insecurity. No country can win such a heavy battle when its citizens cannot agree on the identity of the enemy.

Humanity should come first before Christianity or Islam. This is not a call to abandon faith. It is a call to stop using religion as a shield or weapon whenever national tragedies occur. Criminals do not check the prayer identity of their victims before unleashing violence. They attack villages, schools, highways, markets, farmlands, churches and mosques. Their aim is fear, control and profit. They are driven by greed, ideology, criminal enterprise and sometimes personal vengeance. Ordinary Nigerians, regardless of their religion, are the ones paying the price. Our collective pain should therefore unite us and not divide us.

History has shown that no religious group can win this war alone. The long experience of Boko Haram in the North East is a clear example. The victims of their violence include Muslims, Christians, and people who do not claim either faith. During the worst years of the insurgency, entire communities were emptied. Imams, pastors, traders, farmers, women and children were all affected. Boko Haram did not attack only one religion. They attacked the Nigerian state, its structures, and its people. Any attempt to paint the fight as a war against one religious group ends up weakening national coordination and allowing criminals more space.

The truth is that insecurity in Nigeria thrives because the system is weak. Our security agencies are overstretched. Corruption affects procurement, logistics and morale. Intelligence gathering is still poor. Coordination between agencies is inconsistent. Arms proliferation is widespread. Poverty and unemployment continue to push young people into crime. These are the real roots of our crisis. Religion does not explain them and cannot fix them. Only a united and honest approach can.

If Nigerians continue to see every violent attack as an attack on their religion, the country will keep missing the opportunity to build collective pressure on government institutions. Instead of demanding reforms, we will be arguing about religious identity. Instead of insisting on transparency, we will be defending our own group. Instead of pushing for long term security solutions, we will be reduced to emotional debates that lead nowhere. Criminals understand this weakness. They know that the country is easily divided and slow to act. They know that Nigerians will spend more time blaming each other than demanding accountability from those in power.

A nation that hopes to defeat insecurity must put its humanity above its differences. This starts with accepting that Christians and Muslims face the same danger. It also means discouraging politicians, clerics and commentators who try to score points by inflaming religion. Nigeria is already dealing with poverty, unemployment, banditry, kidnapping, rural violence, urban crime and institutional decay. Adding religious tension to this load will only worsen our situation. Those who push such narratives are simply making the work of criminals easier.

We must begin to see security as a shared responsibility. Communities should work together regardless of faith. Traditional rulers, clerics, local leaders, youth groups and civil society must form stronger alliances. Security agencies should build trust with residents and avoid behaviours that suggest bias. Government must improve accountability and make sure funds voted for security are used properly. These steps cannot succeed if Nigerians remain trapped in religious suspicion.

The country needs to learn from places that have suffered similar crises. In Rwanda, the genocide ended only when citizens stopped defining themselves by ethnic labels and rebuilt their society around shared humanity. In Colombia, deadly armed groups were defeated only when communities and security institutions united. Nigeria can learn from these experiences. We cannot become a stable nation if we keep interpreting national tragedies through religious anger. The world will not wait for us to overcome our divisions. We must move ahead with clear eyes and a collective mind.

Our leaders also have a role to play. They must stop making statements that can inflame tensions. They must show maturity and emotional control when crises occur. Leadership is not only about issuing orders. It is about calming the nation and guiding people away from fear. A leader who resorts to religious framing is a leader who pushes the nation closer to conflict. Nigeria cannot afford that.

In the end, the real message is simple. Nigeria will only win the fight against insecurity when we face it as one people. The criminals threatening our peace do not care about religion. They only care about power and gain. If Christians and Muslims continue to suspect each other instead of uniting, the problem will continue. If we place humanity first, we will take a huge step toward national healing and security.

Nigeria is strongest when Nigerians stand together. Our humanity must come before our labels. Our survival depends on it.