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Mischaracterizing banditry and terrorism as a clash of faiths risks deepening distrust, fuelling division, and emboldening those who profit from chaos. Nigeria must confront this crisis with unity, clarity, and responsible public conversation.
By Otunba (Dr.) Abdulfalil Abayomi Odunowo
Ijebu Ode, Nigeria November 2025
Nigeria stands at a critical moral and political crossroads, and the way we speak about our national security challenges will determine whether we build peace or unintentionally escalate tension. In a period where criminal networks, banditry, Boko Haram, and violent extremist groups continue to threaten the stability of communities across the country, it is reckless and dangerously simplistic to frame this insecurity as a religious confrontation. The evidence is clear: these criminals are not acting on spiritual conviction; they are driven by the economics of kidnapping, illegal financing, territorial dominance, and political manipulation.
For instance, armed bandit groups in the North-West, often composed of ethnic Fulani herders, prey on settled farming communities regardless of faith, motivated largely by resource conflicts and criminal opportunism rather than religious ideology. Similarly, Boko Haram and its splinter group, the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), have evolved from ideological roots into entities sustained by extortion, looting, and human trafficking, exploiting instability for profit.
These groups have slaughtered both Muslims and Christians, destroyed mosques and churches, and abducted innocent schoolchildren whose only vulnerability was being unprotected. A comprehensive analysis of Boko Haram’s attacks on civilian locations between May 2011 and December 2020 reveals they targeted 83 churches, resulting in 1,521 deaths, and 72 mosques, leading to 2,017 deaths demonstrating that Muslims have often borne the brunt in the Muslim-majority Northeast.
For example, in 2014 alone, Boko Haram bombed mosques in Kano and Maiduguri, killing hundreds of Muslim worshippers during Friday prayers, while also attacking churches in the same region. More recently, in 2025, mass abductions like the kidnapping of over 300 students from a Catholic school in Kaduna were attributed to criminal gangs seeking ransom, not religious zeal, with similar incidents affecting Muslim communities in Zamfara and Kebbi states.
According to the National Human Rights Commission, April 2025 saw 570 killings and 278 kidnappings nationwide, predominantly linked to banditry and general criminality rather than sectarian motives. The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) reports that from December 2023 to November 2024, violence in Nigeria involved a mix of banditry, cultism, and herder-farmer clashes, with victims spanning all faiths and ethnicities.
To position this crisis as a war between faiths is to distort reality and hand victory to the architects of fear. Reports from organizations like the Council on Foreign Relations and the International Crisis Group emphasize that banditry is an organized criminal enterprise, not a jihad, with groups forming alliances based on profit-sharing rather than shared religious beliefs. The Nigerian government has repeatedly rejected claims of religious genocide, asserting that security challenges are criminal in nature, affecting Muslims and Christians alike, and requiring unified action against perpetrators.
Nigeria’s greatest strength lies in its diversity and shared humanity. Our ancestors lived side by side, traded together, intermarried, celebrated each other’s festivals, and defended one another long before modern political structures existed evident in historical inter-ethnic alliances across regions like the Southwest and North.
Allowing misinformation and sensational claims to divide us now only serves those who thrive on instability. Instead, we must insist on responsible communication, support evidence-based security reforms, demand accountability from institutions, and strengthen the collaboration between communities and security agencies. This is not the time for incitement or careless narratives; it is a time for clarity, courage, and collective action.
“Terrorism in Nigeria has no religion only victims.”
Nigeria’s path to peace will not come through suspicion or sectarian division, but through truth, unity, and a shared commitment to confronting crime as one people. The sooner we stop amplifying dangerous narratives and start working together with purpose and discipline, the sooner we can reclaim security, dignity, and national confidence.
**Signed:**
Otunba (Dr.) Abdulfalil Abayomi Odunowo, D.Sc (h.c)
National Chairman
Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu Support Group (AATSG)
Date: Wednesday, 26th November, 2025
Email: nchairman@aatsg.org.ng
Phone: +234 905 353 5322
Website: www.aatsg.org.ng
As we look to the future, let’s embrace the important role our choices play in shaping the destiny of our nation. Together, let’s commit to the path of active and positive citizenship!
Loyal to Country Nigeria, Loyal to an Elected President and finally Loyal to the Truth.
#NigeriaMustRebuild
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