Abuja: Amid renewed discussions about Nigeria's security challenges, particularly its recent designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) by the United States, key Nigerian groups and peace advocates are calling for unity, caution, and locally driven reforms to address the ongoing violence by Boko Haram and other militant organizations affecting communities across the country. Their message is clear: The Boko Haram insurgency and the insecurity bedeviling the nation remain a national tragedy affecting both Christians and Muslims, and the priority should be building internal harmony and strengthening homegrown solutions to restore peace.
According to Global Voices, Boko Haram, formally known as Jamaatu Ahlis-Sunnah lid Daawati wal-Jihad, has waged a brutal insurgency across Nigeria's northeast and the wider Lake Chad region for over a decade. Founded in 2002, the insurgent group began to launch violent attacks in the region in 2009. Boko Haram leaders oppose Western-style education and seek to impose strict Islamic law, though only about half of the country's population identifies as Muslim. Its atrocities have included bombings of churches and mosques, large-scale kidnappings such as the 2014 abduction of 276 Chibok schoolgirls, and attacks on markets, bus stations, and military facilities. The humanitarian consequences have been devastating, with reports of around 35,000 civilian deaths and over 2 million displacements due to the conflict.
Despite frequent assumptions that Boko Haram primarily targets Christians, the group's victims span religious lines. Former President Muhammadu Buhari once highlighted this reality, stating in 2020 that some 90 percent of all Boko Haram's victims have been Muslims, emphasizing that the insurgency has shattered communities regardless of faith. The designation led to debates among Muslims and Christians within Nigeria, especially on social media, each claiming to be the most affected by the decades of violence. In the midst of these debates, several peace advocates, including both Muslim and Christian leaders, are calling for restraint, unity, and dialogue. They are urging Nigerians to implement locally driven reforms to address the ongoing violence and build long-term peace.
The Nigerian government has recently intensified efforts to combat Boko Haram and related insurgent groups through a combination of military, financial, security, and rehabilitation measures. The government increased military firepower and successfully reclaimed territories previously occupied by insurgents. Security funding has been boosted, with additional equipment supplied to security agencies, and greater recognition given to local vigilante and hunter groups. Discussions on strengthening state policing have also been revived. The military and other security forces have made efforts to trace and block Boko Haram's funding channels, including kidnapping for ransom, illegal levies, and external financial support. International partners such as the United Nations (UN) and European Union (EU) are being engaged to assist in these efforts.
The Northern Consensus Movement for Peace, Unity, Empowerment and Development Initiative (NSNCM) added its voice, warning against what it described as foreign-driven narratives that risk inflaming religious division. Awwal Abdullahi Aliyu, the organization's National President, noted that allowing foreign interests to divide Nigerians would be a great tragedy. He dismissed claims of a government-sponsored campaign against Christians and noted that the killings and kidnappings across Nigeria affect both Christians and Muslims. Aliyu also warned that foreign intervention disguised as humanitarian concern could worsen instability.
Similarly, the Kaduna chapter of the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria (SCSN) rejected the US classification. The Council Secretary, engineer Hassan Abdul Rahman, argued that Nigeria's insecurity stems from a complex web of ethnic, political, and economic challenges, not a religiously motivated war. Pastor Yohanna Buru, founder of the Peace Revival and Reconciliation Foundation, emphasized the complexity of the crisis, listing political issues, religious-heterogeneous differences, and extremism as factors.
Former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme and peace advocate Usman Yusuf, a professor of haematology-oncology from Ahmadu Bello University, similarly urged calm and warned against allowing rumors or misleading narratives to fracture interfaith relations. He emphasized that every single life, regardless of faith, matters and should be protected by authorities. The coalition group Northern Christian Youth Professionals (NCYP) commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for recent reforms in the security sector and encouraged continued local and international efforts for peace.