Nigeria, a land whose name once sung of unity and promise, has become a riddle of fear, faith, and fractured history. Today, to speak “Nigeria” is to summon suspicion, as if the word itself carries curses and conspiracies. The nation’s story, written in blood and ink, seems no longer authored by its people but by forces that thrive on discord; God invoked, grievances amplified, cutlasses and guns employed as the pen.
“The greatest deception in the world is the misuse of religion to justify injustice,” said Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, and nowhere is this truer than in Nigeria. Across villages and cities, sects rise and fall, often invoking God to validate acts that tear communities apart. Faith, meant to heal, has become a sword. The teachings of Christ and the guidance of Islam, which both call for justice, mercy, and human dignity, are twisted to sanction murder, intimidation, and silence.
In Igala land, we say: “ Eyo ke gbe oji uw’edo anya figa ojomune” what is sown in anger today will sprout tomorrow. Generations have witnessed this bitter harvest. Families flee ancestral homes, not because their traditions fail, but because human greed and religious extremism have poisoned sacred soil. Fathers who should nurture, brothers who should protect, now tremble at the shadows of neighbours turned strangers. The name “Nigeria” has become a battleground where allegiance to God and allegiance to self collide violently.
Yet, even in darkness, there is a moral compass. Juanita Bynum reminds us, “Your pain is the platform for your purpose.” Each Nigerian, whether soldier or civilian, cleric or trader, is called to reclaim authorship of the nation’s story. It is not enough to mourn what is lost; one must confront the lies written by those who profit from fear. The pen of righteousness must overwrite the bullets of terror.
The question lingers: who truly wrote this chapter? Was it faith misled, human ambition unbridled, or a historical failure to bind diverse peoples in mutual respect? Perhaps all. But the answer is not despair, it is action. Communities must rebuild trust; leaders must speak truth; faith must be restored as a light, not a weapon. Prophet TB Joshua once said, “A nation that abandons God’s principles will harvest chaos.” Nigeria is at that crossroads, and the harvest is visible in every headline of death, every story of displacement, every heart turned cold.
In reclaiming Nigeria, we must remember the simplest yet hardest truth: God did not choose conflict as a foundation. Grievances do not justify genocide. And the name Nigeria, though now heavy with pain, still carries the hope of reconciliation. The nation’s story is not yet finished; the authorship lies with those brave enough to write in courage, compassion, and conscience. As the Igala proverb goes: _“Meje ka f’ikpa aji le te nyo nyo k’omi efe yolo ki neke cha omemele”—let us purify the path so the river may flow clean. Nigeria’s pen awaits its righteous hand.
– Inah Boniface Ocholi writes from Ayah – Igalamela/Odolu LGA, Kogi state.
08152094428 (SMS Only)
