(By WALBE OGAK)
Whether former U.S. President Donald Trump is right or wrong about his claim of a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria, one truth stands out clearly — there are massive killings taking place across the country. From the North to the South, from the East to the West, too many innocent lives have been lost to violence, banditry, terrorism, and communal clashes. These are not mere statistics; they are human beings — fathers, mothers, children — Nigerians whose dreams have been cut short by bullets and blades.
The debate, therefore, should not center on whether the killings target one group or another. Rather, the national focus should be on how to stop them. Nigeria has endured too many years of insecurity — from insurgency in the North East, to herders-farmers conflicts in the Middle Belt, to kidnapping and banditry spreading across states once considered safe. The growing insecurity has eroded public trust in the state’s ability to protect its citizens.
It is time for patriotic Nigerians to rise above politics, ethnicity, and religion to demand accountability and action from those in authority. The lives being lost are not those of one tribe or one faith — they are the lives of Nigerians. Every killing, every abduction, every attack tears further at the fragile fabric of our national unity.
Government at all levels must go beyond rhetoric. Security agencies need better coordination, intelligence-sharing, and motivation. Communities, too, must embrace peacebuilding and dialogue. Civil society and faith-based organizations have a role to play in preaching tolerance and reconciliation. The media must continue to shine the light on these issues — not to spread fear, but to stir conscience and responsibility.
Nigeria cannot continue to normalize bloodshed. We cannot keep counting the dead while our leaders trade blames. It is time to move from outrage to action. The insecurity threatening our nation today is not just a Christian problem, or a Muslim problem — it is a Nigerian problem.
Only through unity, justice, and decisive leadership can we stop the killings and restore hope in our nation’s future.
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