President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has cautioned against presenting Nigeria’s growing security crisis as a religious conflict, saying such narratives are misleading and dangerous.
Akpabio made this known on Thursday during plenary while contributing to a motion on alleged religious persecution of Christians in Nigeria. The motion was raised in light of recent reports that some foreign governments are considering sanctions against Nigeria over claims of religious intolerance and targeted attacks.
While acknowledging the security challenges across the country, Akpabio stressed that terrorists, bandits, and insurgents are not targeting Nigerians based on religion. Instead, he said, they attack indiscriminately, killing people of all faiths.
“When they come and start spraying bullets or they throw a rocket, they are not throwing it into a crowd based on religion,” Akpabio said. “They are killing Nigerians. Nobody brings out the dead to check if they were Muslims or Christians.”
He added that it was dangerous to reduce the problem of terrorism to a religious war, noting that such an approach only worsens division and distracts from finding lasting solutions.
The Senate President warned that those promoting religious narratives around insecurity may unknowingly be fuelling further violence and fear among citizens.
He also highlighted the broader impact of insecurity, pointing out that terrorist activities have made it difficult for farmers to access their farmlands, which in turn threatens food security in the country.
“We are facing a situation whereby these terrorists are trying to terminate the lives of Nigerians and frustrate us from going into the farms to produce food to feed ourselves,” he added.
Akpabio’s comments come as Nigeria continues to battle various security threats, including Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, and farmer-herder clashes in the Middle Belt.
The federal government has repeatedly denied that religious persecution is state-sponsored, insisting that attacks are more related to criminality and terrorism than faith-based violence.
Akpabio urged both lawmakers and the international community to approach the issue with care and focus on unity, justice, and concrete action to improve national security, rather than inflaming tensions with divisive narratives.President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has cautioned against presenting Nigeria’s growing security crisis as a religious conflict, saying such narratives are misleading and dangerous.
Akpabio made this known on Thursday during plenary while contributing to a motion on alleged religious persecution of Christians in Nigeria. The motion was raised in light of recent reports that some foreign governments are considering sanctions against Nigeria over claims of religious intolerance and targeted attacks.
While acknowledging the security challenges across the country, Akpabio stressed that terrorists, bandits, and insurgents are not targeting Nigerians based on religion. Instead, he said, they attack indiscriminately, killing people of all faiths.
“When they come and start spraying bullets or they throw a rocket, they are not throwing it into a crowd based on religion,” Akpabio said. “They are killing Nigerians. Nobody brings out the dead to check if they were Muslims or Christians.”
He added that it was dangerous to reduce the problem of terrorism to a religious war, noting that such an approach only worsens division and distracts from finding lasting solutions.
The Senate President warned that those promoting religious narratives around insecurity may unknowingly be fuelling further violence and fear among citizens.
He also highlighted the broader impact of insecurity, pointing out that terrorist activities have made it difficult for farmers to access their farmlands, which in turn threatens food security in the country.
“We are facing a situation whereby these terrorists are trying to terminate the lives of Nigerians and frustrate us from going into the farms to produce food to feed ourselves,” he added.
Akpabio’s comments come as Nigeria continues to battle various security threats, including Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, and farmer-herder clashes in the Middle Belt.
The federal government has repeatedly denied that religious persecution is state-sponsored, insisting that attacks are more related to criminality and terrorism than faith-based violence.
Akpabio urged both lawmakers and the international community to approach the issue with care and focus on unity, justice, and concrete action to improve national security, rather than inflaming tensions with divisive narratives.
