Let’s begin with the name “Boko Haram,” which literally means “Western education is forbidden.” The name itself shows that the group’s ideology is against schooling not against any particular religion. Boko Haram opposes anyone who goes to school, regardless of their faith.
Since the group, officially designated as a terrorist organization by the Federal Government, came into existence, has it ever focused its attacks on a single religion? The answer is no. Both Muslims and Christians have been victims of their brutality. In fact, Muslims have suffered more casualties than Christians, largely because the areas frequently attacked by the group are predominantly Muslim.
We have all watched various videos of Boko Haram leaders, yet none of them ever declared that their goal was to wipe out Christianity. The movement’s roots can be traced back to the death of Sheikh Mohammed Yusuf, who was killed by the police. In retaliation, the group initially targeted military personnel and barracks across Northern Nigeria.
Prominent Muslim scholars like Sheikh Jafar Mahmud Adam and Sheikh Albani Zaria were assassinated by gunmen, and no one claimed that Christians were responsible. To this day, no well-known Christian preacher like Sheikh Jafar or Sheikh Albani has been murdered in the North in such a manner. Several mosques have also been bombed. Late Ado Bayero, Emir of Kano was attacked. I recall vividly that shortly after Sanusi Lamido Sanusi became Emir of Kano, a mosque that was thought to be his likely place of attendance for the first Friday prayer was attacked.
Some people once speculated that the plane crash which claimed the life of the former Governor of Kaduna State, a Christian, was a setup. But have we not also witnessed plane crashes that took the lives of Muslims? Did anyone call those Christian plots? No.
The ongoing violence in Benue, for instance, is not a religious war but a conflict between ethnic groups. I remember when buses carrying Muslims returning from Maulud celebrations were attacked in Plateau State. In recent times, numerous worshippers have been killed inside mosques across the Northwest, especially in Zamfara and Katsina States. Many farmers have been massacred in Sokoto, and they were not Christians.
If Nigeria were a country that kept reliable data, we would likely discover that more mosques have been attacked than churches, and more Muslims have been killed than Christians. The real problem lies in how we interpret these tragedies. When Musa commits an atrocity, it is often labeled as the act of a “Muslim.” But when Simon does the same, he alone is blamed, not his religion.
Imagine if Nnamdi Kanu were a Northern Muslim, his actions and those of his followers would have been instantly tagged as “Islamic terrorism.” But because he is not, the narrative is different.
It is time we stopped viewing Nigeria’s crises through the lens of religion. Terrorism, banditry, and violence are not the exclusive identity of any faith. They are crimes against humanity, and we must unite as one people to fight them.
– Engr Ira Habib writes from Kogi state.
