Sir: When foreign voices amplify our pain, Nigerians must pause to ask: is this empathy—or exploitation?
For decades, Nigeria’s religious and security crises have been reduced to simplistic narratives: stories painted in black and white, often serving agendas far from our soil. The latest intervention comes from U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, who accuses Nigerian officials of “facilitating the mass murder of Christians” while pushing for sanctions and a new Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act (S.2747). Yet history urges us to dig deeper: why now, and whose interests does this serve?
Nigeria’s recent history reveals a long and complex story of conflict, far too layered to be captured by the “Christians vs. Muslims” frame. Under President Olusegun Obasanjo (1999–2007), Kaduna was scarred by the “Sharia riots” of 2000, which left up to 5,000 dead. In 2002, the Miss World riots in the same city killed about 250. Both Christian and Muslim communities suffered as authorities struggled to restore order.
During the Umaru Yar’Adua era (2007–2010), Boko Haram’s founder, Mohammed Yusuf, was killed extra-judicially in 2009—a move that pushed the group underground and radicalised its insurgency. The Northeast soon became the epicentre of escalating violence.
Similarly, under President Goodluck Jonathan (2010–2015), violence surged. Post-election clashes in 2011 left over 800 dead across 12 northern states. Boko Haram escalated its attacks during this period, bombing churches and killing civilians. The 2014 abduction of 276 Chibok schoolgirls—mostly Christian—shocked the world and exposed the government’s struggle to contain the insurgency.
Nigeria experienced new stages of conflict from 2015 to 2023 under the late President Muhammadu Buhari. Boko Haram splintered, with ISWAP emerging in 2016. The military reclaimed large swathes of territory, but insurgents adapted, shifting to new methods of terror. Both Christians and Muslims were targeted: the 2014 Kano Central Mosque bombing killed over 100 worshippers, while the 2018 abduction of Dapchi schoolgirls left Leah Sharibu in captivity for refusing to convert.
Since 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has introduced security reforms, appointing new service chiefs and intensifying the war against Boko Haram and bandit groups. Yet attacks persist. Five suspects were recently arraigned for the 2022 Owo Catholic Church massacre, even as Boko Haram seized border towns and displaced thousands.
Are Christians alone being targeted? It is undeniable that Christians have borne a disproportionate share of brutal attacks—church bombings, abductions, and forced conversions. Yet history also shows that Muslims are frequent victims too. Mosques in Kano and Mubi were bombed. Imams were assassinated for preaching against extremism. Muslim villagers were massacred for resisting Boko Haram.
This is not exclusively a war on Christians. It is a war on Nigerians, waged by extremists who target anyone outside their fold. Framing the violence as genocide against Christians oversimplifies a national tragedy and risks dividing communities that have both bled under terror.
What we are currently witnessing is the danger of imported narratives. Nigeria is not the first stage where Washington has raised alarms over religion and human rights. The crises in Libya (2011) and Iraq (2003) both began with moral outrage and promises of freedom. Both ended as broken states, torn by sectarian wars that displaced millions. The lesson is sobering: once complex conflicts are reduced to black-and-white morality tales abroad, foreign interventions often follow—and the people are left to pay the ultimate price.
By branding Nigeria’s crisis as “genocide against Christians”, American voices risk opening the door to the same destructive meddling that tore apart Tripoli and Baghdad.
President Tinubu has charted a path that shows he is not a puppet of Washington. His economic reforms—removing fuel subsidies, liberalising foreign exchange—are driven by Nigeria’s fiscal survival, not American applause. His foreign policy has prioritised Africa and regional cooperation, rather than dependence on outside powers. That independence unsettles those accustomed to pliant African leaders. By stoking sectarian accusations, critics abroad risk undermining Nigeria’s unity at a moment when the nation is struggling to reset its economy and strengthen its security.
The world should stand with us, not divide us. And Nigerians must stand tall, knowing that the only lasting solution will be forged not in Washington, but in Abuja, Maiduguri, Kaduna—and in every community determined to live together in peace.
As we journey through the solemn season of Lent—a time designated for introspection, repentance, and spiritual renewal—it becomes imperative to reflect deeply on the essence of our Christian faith. The Apostle Paul’s poignant words in 1 Corinthians 15:19 serve as a profound catalyst for such contemplation: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” This verse challenges us to examine the foundation and focus of our faith, urging us to transcend a purely worldly perspective.
Scripture consistently reminds us of the transient nature of our earthly existence. King Solomon, reflecting on his life filled with wisdom and wealth, concluded that all is vanity—a mere chasing after the wind (Ecclesiastes 1:14). Similarly, the Psalmist likens our days to a fleeting shadow, emphasizing the brevity of life (Psalm 144:4). These reflections beckon us to anchor our hope beyond the temporal, seeking the eternal promises found in Christ.
Paul’s assertion in 1 Corinthians 15:19 addresses a critical concern: if our hope in Christ is confined solely to the benefits and comforts of this earthly life, we are to be pitied above all. Such a limited perspective reduces our faith to a transactional relationship, seeking material gain rather than spiritual transformation. This mindset not only impoverishes the soul but also misses the profound joy and peace that come from a deep, abiding relationship with Christ.
True Christianity calls us to a life of self-denial, compassion, and service. Jesus taught that to follow Him, we must take up our cross daily, signifying a willingness to forsake personal desires for the sake of God’s will (Luke 9:23). This path often involves challenges and persecutions, yet it leads to ultimate fulfillment and eternal life. As Paul reminds us, “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied” (1 Corinthians 15:19). Our faith must, therefore, be rooted in the eternal, looking forward to the resurrection and the life to come.
The Lenten season offers a unique opportunity to reassess and deepen our commitment to Christ. It is a period to engage in practices that draw us closer to God, such as fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. These disciplines are not merely ritualistic but are meant to transform our hearts and align our lives more closely with the teachings of Jesus. As noted in contemporary reflections, Lent is a time to “take a long, loving look at our lives to see if our values and priorities are in line with God’s desires for us.”
In this Lenten season, let us evaluate the depth and focus of our faith. Are we Christians merely for the temporal benefits, or is our hope firmly anchored in the eternal promises of God? Let us strive to embody a faith that transcends the material, embracing the sacrificial and transformative journey that leads to eternal life with Christ.
Prayer: Father, grant us the grace to reflect deeply on our faith. Help us to move beyond a superficial belief centered on worldly gains, and guide us toward a profound, enduring relationship with You in the name of Jesus Christ.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has refuted claims of targeted killings of Christians in Nigeria, describing the report as misleading and inaccurate.
In a statement on Friday, the Acting Spokesperson of the ministry, Mr. Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, stated that the report appears to be an attempt to influence foreign governments, particularly the United States, to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over alleged religious violence.
Ebienfa emphasized that Nigeria remains a multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation, and the government is fully committed to protecting the lives and property of all citizens, regardless of their faith, ethnicity, or gender.
The statement further stated: “While the Federal Government acknowledges the security challenges confronting the nation, it is imperative to clarify that these negative activities are not driven by religious bias, nor targeted against any particular religious group. It should be noted that the majority of incidents relating to insurgency and banditry that occur in the predominantly Muslim northern part of Nigeria are not targeted at followers of a particular faith or religion. Any narrative that seeks to give such incidents a coloration of religious persecution is erroneous and misleading.
“Nigeria is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation and the government remains committed to protecting the lives and properties of all citizens, irrespective of faith, ethnicity, or gender. The security issues in Nigeria are complex and multifaceted and manifest as criminality, terrorism and communal clashes – including farmer/herder confrontation, that do not have any religious connotation.
“The government of Nigeria, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has taken significant steps to address these security concerns, including the deployment of security forces, intelligence gathering and community engagement initiatives. Indeed, the military has recorded substantial gains in curtailing the activities of bandits and insurgents.
“To bring an end to such security challenges, both the Federal and State authorities have embarked on kinetic and non-kinetic methods and expedited the implementation of the national livestock plan.
“To this end, a Ministry of Livestock Development has been established while a Special Adviser and Coordinator of Livestock Reforms, has been appointed to find sustainable solutions to pastoral farming, with a view to end contestations over land, between farmers and pastoral herders.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, therefore, urges the international community to exercise caution and verify information before drawing conclusions or making statements that could exacerbate tensions within Nigeria. We call on all stakeholders, including the media, civil society organizations and foreign partners, to refrain from spreading unverified claims that could undermine national unity and stability.
“Nigeria remains a beacon of religious tolerance and coexistence in Africa and is committed to preserving this heritage. We welcome constructive dialogue and support from the international community in addressing our security challenges. However, we strongly reject any attempts to wrongly designate the country, distort the narrative, or sow seeds of discord among our people.”
The installation of the new Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Olaoye, a former Pastor of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, (RCCG) on the 8th of September, 2023 elicited a chain of reactions.
Though the installation of Olaoye, a born-again Christian, as a traditional ruler was not the first time a born-again Christian would be ascending a traditional stool, the fact that he pastored one of the biggest Redeemed Christian of God in the United States of America caught the attention of Christians and non-Christians in Nigeria.
Until he decided to answer the call to serve, Olaoye was the Senior Pastor of Jesus House, DC (JHDC), a thriving non-denominational, multi-racial, multicultural international Church located in downtown Silver Spring, Maryland. Jesus House.
While many would agree that there is nothing wrong with Christians being a monarch, many have queried the rites and the processes that they would go through before being allowed to ascend the throne of their forefathers.
The fetish practices, according to those who believe Christians should distance themselves from traditional practices have been that the traditional beliefs are at variance with the Christian faith.
However, Oba Olaoye will not be the first and the last pastor who would get himself entangled between Christianity and tradition.
Before the current Soun of Ogbomoso, there were Christian monarchs like Oba (Sir) Isaac Babalola Akinyele who was installed on 17 February 1955 as an Olubadan. He was the first educated Olubadan (non-hereditary traditional ruler) of Ibadan, and the second Christian to ascend the throne).
However, he was rejected by a section of the people because of his total rejection of the Isese religion (traditional religion), he was chosen by an overwhelming majority.
Similarly, other Christian monarchs ascended the throne of their forefathers including Adetoyese Laoye, the late Timi of Ede, Osun State; Oladele Olashore, the late Ajagbusin-EkunIloko-Ijesha, who built a big church in his private palace at Iloko, Osun State.
Others are the Olu of Ilaro, and Paramount ruler of the Yewa-Awori axis of Ogun State, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, he was an RCCG Pastor; the First Alahan of Ahan Ayegunle Ekiti East, Oba Mathew Jegede, until he ascended of his forefathers, he was a Deeper Life pastor. Also, the Oba of Isan Ekiti, Pastor Gabriel Ayodele; and the paramount ruler of Idomaland, John Odogbo, were all Deeper Life pastors. The current Orangun of Oke-Ila and founder of Abolarin College, Oke-Ila, Osun State, Adedokun Abolarin, is a member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church.
Contrary to fears being expressed in certain quarters, many Christian leaders who spoke with The Nation said it was a good development.
There is no clash of interest – Pastor Odesola
Speaking on the dual roles, The Continental Overseer for Africa 3 and South West, RCCG, Pastor Johnson Funsho Odesola told The Nation that there was nothing wrong in Olaoye being the Soun of Ogbomoso. “He is still an anointed man of God, and remains a pastor in the RCCG.”
According to him, having Olaoye as the traditional ruler of Ogbomoso does not change anything, rather it brings light into every clouded area of the town.
“I’m sure that based on the experience he had, he would be able to improve the economic configuration of the town. The implication is going to be a positive implication on the town and the people,” Odesola said.
According to Odesola, the bible says when the righteous rule, people rejoice, and that there is no clash of interest.
“You can hear from his own personal interview that he is going there as a shepherd; he will shepherd the people of God in Ogbomoso,” he said.
Kingship is part of our calling-Foursquare GO
Speaking with The Nation in an interview, the General Overseer of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria, Pastor Sam Aboyeji said that having faithful men and women as monarchs was the right way to go.
He disclosed that he pastored the late Olu of Warri, Godwin Toritseju Emiko for 15 years.
“It is clear the Bible says that when the righteous rule, the people rejoice. It is part of our calling. The Bible says let your light shine before men so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
“It is an avenue to do good works when a Christian becomes king. The Soun is not a poor man. He is not looking for money or business. He is comfortable in the US where he was. He was a pastor in one of the biggest churches in RCCG in the US. He is not a hungry man and is already comfortable.
“That is what people should look at, he is coming on the throne, and he is not greedy. He is a man with a fear of God. I do not think the kingdom needs any less personality to become its king and I think every kingdom should look toward that.”
On the fetish practices associated with the traditional rites, Aboyeji, there was nothing to it. “All those things do not have an effect on those who don’t believe in them.”
He said his closeness to the Olu of Warri opened his eyes to the workings of the palace. “When I went to the palace of Olu, there was nowhere in the palace that I didn’t enter. He emptied the palace of all those things.”
He disclosed that the so-called gods are nothing but mere beliefs.
“Somebody would just put wood down and say there is my god and it will be their god. The Bible says those who worship them are like them. If you say the Almighty God is your God, the more you worship, the more you will be like Him. That is the difference. All those things do not have an effect on those who don’t believe in it.”
You can’t take away traditional practices out rightly, says theologian
A lecturer at the West African Theological Seminary (WAT), Dr. Femi Emmanuel, while noting that the traditional practice is at variance with Christianity, explained that people see traditional rites in the light of fetish practices and worship of other gods and idols.
“We cannot take away the traditional practices, especially in relation to becoming an Oba.”
According to him, the obas are usually the custodians of cultural practices and religion, adding that in most places in Africa, you cannot become a traditional ruler without being the priest or custodian of religion endorsing it.
Explaining how it is done in Yorubaland, Emmanuel said in Yorubaland, the Ifa has to be consulted and speak, a practice which is not accepted in Christianity. “We don’t usually align with such,” said Emmanuel.
He, however, noted that “traditional religion is predicated on the Christian religion and whether we like it or not, the Almighty God uses the traditional ruler to a level. I’m not endorsing fetish practice or traditional religion, but talking practically, we cannot dissociate the Almighty God from traditional practices. During one period, according to theology, we had what we knew as natural religion.
“At a point in time, God revealed himself through natural religion. God reveals himself through nature. Natural religion became abrogated after some time as it could not offer full salvation. The full revelation was obtained through Christ.
“We know that a lot of people who practiced traditional religion wanted to express their reverence to the Almighty God within the time.”
He explained that the traditional religion is older than the Christian religion, citing the days of Apostle Paul when he was writing to the Romans where he admonished the Roman Christians to give reverence to the rulers. “ Who was he referring to? He was making reverence to the traditional rulers. “
Emmanuel noted that while he had nothing against traditional rulers, he would not bow down to demons.
“Being the Soun as a Christian, spirit-filled, I don’t think there is a problem with that. Even if Ifa picked him, Ifa should know that he is a child of God. For me, he has not backslidden. He has only accepted to serve the people and give them good leadership.”
Explaining the aspect of ritual practices associated with the kingship rites, Emmanuel said “Soun may decide not to go that way. Not every aspect of traditional practice is evil as long as any practices do not undermine the Lordship of Jesus Christ.”
He explained that it is not everything within the traditional practice that is evil. It is not everything within the context of traditions that is sinful. “We know that some very sensitive aspects of the traditional religion are not evil. We know about rituals and human sacrifices are there but at the same time that is not all that is in traditional religion. The Christianity we practice today was terribly associated with evil practices. Don’t we hear of people burning something in the church and there are no fetish practises in church?”
He, therefore, advised that Africans should not allow evil practices to becloud their minds. “As a matter of fact, if our values and tradition had been promoted, Africa would not be where it is today.”
He was of the view that many people are not comfortable with monarchs becoming traditional rulers because they come with biased minds.
“Today, Europe has abandoned the Christian faith. They brought Christianity to us, and we imbibed it, but we ruined our own values and traditions. Any Christian who is convinced that he can offer leadership effectively at the traditional level should be allowed to do so. But if he feels that the position will not allow him to practice his Christian faith; he should not go into it in the first place.”
Traditional worship not demonic
Also, The Founder/Archbishop of Calvary Kingdom Church, Archbishop Joseph Ojo condemned the school of thought which classifies traditional worship as demonic.
“God has used somebody who is a pastor to sanitise the institution. If we abandon the institution, it will get worse and worse.
“Someone with the staff of the office can also have the courage to change things within the institution. God is looking for people who can change this and not people who can maintain the status quo,” Ojo said.
These blokes call themselves National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF). But really, they are no more than Christian Nuisance Forum (NEF), national or sectional.
Didn’t the Bible, which they claim is their spiritual constitution, say by their deeds we shall know them?
By Jove! NCEF, by its comment on the Onnoghen conviction, has shown it’s the very antithesis of the Christianity it seizes and flaunts, as political blackmail tool.
NCEF claimed former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Walter Onnoghen’s conviction, for failing to declare juicy bank accounts, mainly in foreign currency, was part of “the jihad” in Nigeria. How so?
Onnoghen never hid the accounts, no matter his motives? Or he never claimed he “forgot”? Or never said he made a “mistake”? Or was tried before a Shariah court, against his Christian belief?
O, he never, no thanks to the state’s high-handedness, had a battery of SANs for his defence? Or the state abridged his right to appeal the verdict to higher courts?
O yes, Hardball forgot! It was Onnoghen’s Christian essence — even more ingrained than conscience — that told him to skew his asset declaration, in the greatest and noblest traditions of Christian tenets, knowing what the law says!
And yeah: it was Jihadists, that arrested his Christian conscience, and led him to perdition!
Except these NCEF guys can prove what Onnoghen was convicted of was Christian and Christ-like, they should just shut up and stop polluting the Easter air!
Even Christ Himself, the few times he was reported to get furious, did so over sleaze. “My father’s house of worship has become a den of thieves,” reggae great Max Romeo put that Jesus holy rage in musical perspective, “stealing in the name of the Lord”!
Did it the rotten metaphor, ever occur to these Pharisees: that our Judiciary, under their “Christian brother” Onnoghen, was becoming a den of thieves, selling and buying justice, in the name of the Law?
But the Bible said it all, when he referred to the Pharisees and Sadducees, the hypocritical lords of the Jewish religious order: a brood of vipers; and whited sepulchres, immaculate outside but extremely rotten within.
That is what this NCEF lobby amounts to. For what Christian body, elder or infant, would try to spin Onnoghen’s shameful fall, with a rogue skewing of history?
“Today,” NCEF claimed, “Justice Walter Onnoghen’s removal through stealth jihad of the executive is the continuation of the jihad that began with the overthrow of Gowon”.
Seriously? Which powers installed Gowon and which powers removed him? Perhaps NCEF needs to ask one of its prominent members, who was some alpha and omega in the whole military mess!
But as anyone doomed to self-ruin, NCEF’s tale by moonlight “even get k-leg” (to parody Baba Iyabo). Thank God Justice Taslim Elias was a Muslim. We’re he Christian, the hollow NCEF tale could have suckered not a few.
Some parting Easter message then, for these Christian impostors? Away Christian nuisance, rush to your doom!
Indeed, Easter, the most sacred season of Christendom, is the most appropriate time to remind whoever drags the holy name of Christ to dirt, that (s)he is self-condemned to perdition! And so is NCEF.
The #BringBackOurGirls (BBOG) movement yesterday in Lagos rounded off a three-day global event marking the fifth anniversary of the Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction.
Nigerian and American Christian, Muslim and Jewish clerics offered inter-faith prayers for the safe return of the abductees.
The 276 girls were abducted by members of Boko Haram terrorist group at the Government Girls’ Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, on the night of April 14, 2014.
Yesterday’s event marked the fifth anniversary of the abduction.
Of the girls, 112 are yet to be released. Others, including Leah Sharibu from Dapchi in Yobe State, are also being held.
The advocacy group marked the event simultaneously on three continents: Lagos and Abuja in Nigeria; London in the United Kingdom as well as New York and Washington DC in the United States.
Participants at the Lagos event – a vigil at the Falomo Roundabout in Ikoyi – included one-time Lagos State Commissioner for Finance Mr Wale Edun; #BBOG Leader Yemi Ransome-Kuti; a former president of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Ms Ayo Obe and Executive Director, Enough is Enough Nigeria (EiE), Yemi Adamolekun, among others.
Clerics at the event included the Senior Pastor of Trinity House Church, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo; the Imam of Lighthouse Estate Mosque, the “first-ever Islamic estate in Lagos”, Alhaji Nojeem Jimoh and the former pastor of the Church of the Brethren in Chibok, Samuel Dauda.
The event also featured the reading of a prayer written for the girls by Jewish Rabbis in New York, titled: An Interfaith Prayer for Chibok – Five Years in Captivity.
Edun thanked the #BBOG movement for keeping the girls’ plight in Nigerians’ consciousness.
The former commissioner urged the group and other Nigerians not to give up hope but to support the government’s efforts to bring the girls home alive.
He said: “We are encouraged; 112 Chibok girls are missing, previously it was 276, then 217, now 112. That is certainly progress, and the Federal Government deserves the commendation, credit and encouragement to keep bringing that figure down until it is zero.
“The President has said he is committed to bringing back all the Chibok girls as well as others who are detained against their will.
“We need to acknowledge that very worthy commitment on his part and help him in any way we can to achieve that goal.”
Ighodalo, who prayed God to bring back the remaining girls, urged Nigerians not to relent in their prayers for the nation.
“Five is the number of grace. In this fifth year, the Lord will be gracious, merciful unto us… Continue to have hope; it is not over until it is over. There is hope,” he added.
Jimoh prayed for the safe return of the girls, including Dapchi schoolgirl, Leah Sharibu.
He noted that Boko Haram and its sister terrorist group, the ISIS, had shown by their acts that they were anti-Islam.
Dauda, who noted that it was his first time to participate in the event, said he was nearly brought to tears by the outpouring of love for the girls.
“I was about shedding tears,” he said.
He urged the Federal Government to do its all to stem the insurgency.
In London, a panel of discussants considered the topic: #BlackLivesMatter and the #BringBackOurGirls movement: Online struggle for offline justice.
In New York, the event was marked by an overnight vigil at the Nigerian Embassy.
What better time to talk about state and religion than now. What better time to expose our pretentions to being secular, or our denial of being a multi-religious nation, than now. Annually, by this time, we shut down the entire federal and state bureaucracies in deference to series of religious activities by our Christian brothers. As we do also at other times for Islamic festivities such as Eid-l Fitr, Eid-l Kabir and Maulud. Christian and Muslim holidays are some of the clear examples that although the Constitution purports to be secular, the people it provides for are deeply sectarian. And it prompts the question again: are we truly a secular state or a multi-religious society?
Or how can we be secular when the preamble to the Nigerian constitution says that we are a ‘Sovereign Nation under God’? Or how can a constitution be secular which recognizes the application of the Islamic personal law? Section 10 of the constitution merely prohibits the adoption of “ANY religion as state religion”. But does it therefore allow the adoption of the two major religions as state religions? These are some of the questions I intend for us to muse over during this wonderful period of Christmas. I will give mostly a universal outlook on the subject this week, and conclude next week mostly with our situation at home. Merry Christmas to my readers; FelisNevidad; Happy Kwanzaa!
State and religion
I had Nigeria particularly in mind when about three years ago I wrote ‘Secularism Is Not The Enemy Of Religion’ (April 4, 2016); because going by the English dictionary definition of the term ‘secular’, meaning ‘concern with temporal, worldly matters’ to the exclusion of ‘religion’ Nigeria cannot be said to be secular. Evidently our ‘concern with temporal, worldly matters’ is not to the exclusion of ‘religion’. In fact going by that textbook definition, many so-called ‘secular’ nations are not necessarily secular. Most Scandinavian countries especially Sweden, Norway and Denmark with state-established Lutheran Churches many of whose ministers are drown from the civil service, can in fact pass for theocracies. Or bluntly put, ‘governments by God’; which, in a sense, is no less than what our constitution says that Nigeria is a ‘Sovereign Nation under God’. The Scandinavian example provides an apt, existential definition of ‘theocracy’ in its blending of the ‘clerical’ with the ‘clerk-lical’; the ‘spiritual’ with the ‘temporal; or -to use conventional clichés- the fusion of ‘religion and politics’ or of ‘state and the church’. It is ironic that the Scandinavian countries appear more ‘theocratic’ than even a Vatican-hosting Italy which, in spite of its Catholic baggage and its fusion of ‘church’ and ‘governing party’, yet officially could disavow ‘Roman Catholicism’ as state religion. And the question again may be asked: if even after publicly disavowing ‘Roman Catholicism’ as state religion, Italy is still not wholly ‘secular’, can the mere declaration by the Nigerian constitution that no religion shall be made a state religion alone to the exclusion of all other socio-religious considerations, make Nigeria secular?
By the way, although almost all European nations, on the face of it, are considered ‘secular’, the truth is that in virtually all of them, religion (in this case Christianity) has always played a significant role in their politics. Meaning that in spite of all theoretical claims to the contrary, ‘religion and politics’ on the one hand, and ‘state and religion’ on the other, are essentially ‘inseparable’ in the affairs of these states. And you do not have to go beyond the confines of the church or even outside the very bastion of secularism herself, America, to grasp the echoes of these verities: In 1795 America’s first President, George Washington proclaimed February 19 for National Thanksgiving and Prayer, and at the inaugural of which, Bishop James Madison (cousin to the fourth President James Madison), while speaking on the subject of ‘Divine Providence toward America’, projected a commitment both to the spiritual and the temporal realms. His choice of the biblical “Dear Brethren” and the political “Fellow citizens”, his reference to “American Christians” and to “American ‘patriots’, projected the promise of a nation that was not about to lose her ‘spirituality’ for her ‘secularity’ or vice versa. And George Washington, to affirm the Bishop’s vision of a ‘secular’ America ‘under God’, proceeded also to spice his speech with generous quotations both from the Bible’s ‘Psalms’ -to indicate America’s readiness to give to God what’s God’s- and from John Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’ -to underscore her readiness to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.
Nation under God
William Safire, in his ‘World Great Speeches’ collection ‘Lend Me Your Ears’ said that not only did a Bishop and a symbolize the ‘secular’ and the ‘non-secular’ but that the two had made no pretence about their desire to “link the notion of church and state” and to build a “common ground(for) religion and government”. In fact Richard Nixon in his days was also said to have instituted a series of sermons delivered on Sunday mornings in the White House and at the inaugural of which also Rabbi Louis Finkelstein, America’s preeminent voice of conservative Judaism, in a deeply philosophical sermon, reminded American secularists (who had criticized Nixon’s idea of ‘Sunday-Sunday Sermons’ as “a breach between church and state”) of the need to recant their ‘exclusion’ of God in the temporal affairs of man. Said the Rabbi: “How little the mightiest of us can hope to accomplish, and how much we have to leave to God!” Then there was Ronald Reagan, a known proponent of prayer in public schools, who, in 1983 while speaking on the sources of evil in the modern world to the ‘National Association of Evangelists’ meeting in Florida, accused Communist Russia of preaching “the supremacy of the state” and “its omnipotence over individual man”, alleging that “The crisis of the Western world exists to the degree in which the West is indifferent to God, the degree to which it collaborates in Communism’s attempt to make man stand alone without God”.
Then in 1776 there was Reverend John Whitherspoon, the only Clergyman to sign the American Declaration of Independence, who preached the controversial subject of ‘The Dominion of Providence over the Passions of Men’ and in which, while labouring to couple religion with politics, he said the best friend to American liberty is one “who is most sincere and active in promoting true and undefiled religion, and who sets himself with the greatest firmness to bear down profanity and immorality of every kind”. Said Reverend Whitherspoon: “God grant that in America true religion and civil liberty may be inseparable”; and he prayed “that the unjust’s attempts to destroy the one may in the issue tend to the support and establishment of both”. Again there was Bishop Fulton John Sheen, a long time preacher of the philosophy of religion at the American Catholic University, who, in one of his popular 1941 ‘Catholic Hour’ Radio Sermon -titled that week ‘The Cross and the Double Cross’- warned that “the hour of false freedom is past. No longer can we have education without discipline… individual existence without moral responsibility, economics and politics without subservience to the common good”.
I’m a firm believer in prayers among other Christian tenets. Much as I believe one does not have to be religious to get things done, there are too many situations in our country that do not leave one with much option than to seek divine intervention.
When we get to the kind of situation we are that the government of the day appears helpless in the face of endless killings of people in many communities and the security men and women who are supposed to protect lives and properties, it will really take God to take control of the situation in various ways.
Despite the outcry in many quarters for necessary measures to be taken to halt the killings, whatever the government has done does not seem to amount to much. Terrorists, herdsmen, kidnappers and other criminals are having a field day resulting in mass burials, though we are not at war with another in the country.
Mass killings have become so common that they no longer make headlines. The high number of persons that regularly get killed sounds so unbelievable that the media gets confused if they are indeed true that they are not reported.
When the killings happen, like even the recent incident involving soldiers killed by Boko Haram insurgents in an ambush, they are downplayed by authorities concerned who claim the reports are false, only for families and associates of the victims to start announcing the death of their loved ones in the service of the nation and for pictures of the mass burial to emerge.
Apart from killings, so many communities have been displaced and the indigenes are now homeless, while some are lucky to live in Internally Displaced Persons, IDPS, camps under largely inhuman conditions.
What is particularly worrisome is that our security agents don’t seem to have the required fire power to arrest and bring to book the terrorists and criminals to the extent that some leaders of the herdsmen are bold enough to justify their actions as reprisals for the killings of their cows.
The Boko Haram terrorists are obviously law to themselves as they decide which military base they want to attack, or troops they want to ambush and do so confidently and sometimes come online and other platforms to issue threats.
The insurgents who continue to attack and kill our soldiers are the same groups the government wants us to believe have been decimated. Nigerians sure know better with the casualty figures of both the civilian and military sides.
In other climes where voices of the citizens’ matter and the government at all levels can be held accountable for what they are supposed to do, recourse to prayer is limited. They don’t have to believe God for basic things they are entitled to or what the government should do when there are crises situations like we have in the country.
As it is, Nigerians who believe in prayers and are really desirous of peace before the situation gets out of hands have to urgently engage in effectual and fervent prayers and fasting which informs the call for prayers by Christian groups, churches and other religious groups.
Since God will not come down and do what our leaders are supposed to do, our prayers among others is that God will grant them the wisdom to handle the situation and the willingness to take necessary actions.
The southern Youth Wing of Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN) yesterday pleaded with the Federal Government and the security agencies to adopt all necessary measures to ensure the immediate release of Leah Sharibu from Boko Haram’s captivity.
Their appeal came simultaneously with one the abductee’s father, Nata Sharibu, sent to President Muhammadu Buhari, asking him to accelerate efforts towards securing her freedom.
Sharibu was abducted along with 110 other female pupils of a secondary school in Dapchi, Yobe State, last month.
But while the other abductees were released by the terror sect, Sharibu was not, because she refused to renounce her Christian faith.
President of Southern YOWICAN, Mr. Oluchukwu Nnabugwu, said yesterday in a statement that “religion is a personal decision and should not be a determining factor for the safety of anyone in the country as being imposed by the Islamic group, Boko Haram.”
He enjoined the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to demand the release of the names of the five girls that reportedly died in captivity, adding that compensation should be paid to the bereaved parents.
Barrister Nnabugwu also condemned what he called politicization of the abduction and release of the innocent Dapchi schoolgirls, calling on the Federal Government to set up a high power judicial panel to investigate the abduction of the schoolgirls with a view to unmasking those behind the heinous crime and make them face the full wrath of the law.
He urged all Christians to pray for the safety of Sharibu while praying for a “miraculous shake up in Boko Haram camps that will truly decimate their terrorist activities.”
In a pasionate appeal to President Buhari yesterday, Leah’s father urged the President to accelerate efforts towards ensuring the freedom of Leah.
Speaking with one of our correspondents in Abuja in a brief telephone interview facilitated by the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement, Leah’s father and and her pastor, Rev. Daniel Auta, who presides over the ECWA Church that Leah’s family attends in Dapchi, expressed appreciation to all Nigerians who have stood by them since Leah’s abduction.
Leah was abducted by members of Boko Haram along with other girls from Government Science Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State on February 19.
On March 21 when other abductees were returned to the town, it was discovered that five of the girls had lost their lives in captivity while Leah remained in Boko Haram captivity because she refused to renounce Christianity and convert to Islam.
Her father, Nata, whose name is a corrupted form of Nathaniel, said it had been a long period of worsening anxiety for the family.
He said: “I am very grateful to all churches and indeed all Nigerians who are supporting us with their prayers.
“I appreciate all that they and the government are doing.
“I am pleading with the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to please do their very possible best to help secure the release of my girl in good time.”
Her church’s pastor, Auta, said Leah’s ordeal had further united the Christians and Moslems in Dapchi as they have all continued in steadfast prayers for her safe release.
Auta said: “All over Dapchi, we have all been organising prayer sessions. All the churches in Dapchi are praying.
“We initially did three days of prayer and fasting.
“After that, we organised special prayers and fasted for three more days, which was concluded on Wednesday.
“Still, we have continued to pray in our various houses.”
According to Rev. Auta, while people all over the world are identifying with them on Leah’s situation, every parent in Dapchi feels the pain of the teenage girl’s abduction.
“Every parent, every house in Dapchi has been praying for Leah.
“We have also been praying for the parents and family of Leah for divine support and encouragement.
“The Muslims in Dapchi have been encouraging and supporting us consistently with prayers on this issue.
“We have always been living in cordial relationship here in Dapchi as there is no problem whatsoever between Christians and Muslims in the town.
“We know that people all over the world are very anxious about this girl.
“We are hopeful that God would touch the heart of those holding her,” Rev. Auta said.
The Senate Tuesday asked Nigerians to learn to live in peace and harmony with one another in the interest of the country.
The upper chamber said that Nigerians should avoid all forms of violence especially those that have religious colouration.
Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, gave the advice following a Point of Order raised by Senator Shehu Sani on the violence that erupted in Kaduna State on Monday.
Reports had it that about nine persons died on Monday in a clash between Christians and Muslim youths in Kasuwan Magani Kajuru Local Government Area, Kaduna State.
Ekweremadu after listening to Sani’s lamentation over increasing spate of violence in parts of the country warned that religious conflict could be the fasted means to liquidate the country if not avoided.
Ekweremadu said, “This is one incident too many, killings in all parts of Nigeria. This is becoming very worrisome. What is even more worrying is the religious colouration to the killings, based on what Senator Shehu Sani has said. This is something we need to avoid.
“That is, any conflict that will have religious colouration. That will be the fastest way to liquidate this country. As leaders, we must understand that leadership comes with responsibilities. It is our job to keep preaching to those who are leading through our actions and words that we belong to one God.
“The fact that somebody is a Christian or Muslim does not mean that he hates another person. I have not seen any religion that preaches hate killings. It is the way we behave that promotes that.
“We are talking about hate speeches. The worst of it is hate action. If we treat ourselves as brothers and sisters, those following us will follow us. We must try as hard as we can not to have any religious escalation in Nigeria.”
Sani (Kaduna Central) in his submission described the incident as unfortunate and lamented the situation where Nigerians are faced with one form of violence or the other every day.
He said, “I stand to bring to the attention of the Senate and the nation an unfortunate violence we had yesterday in Kasuwan Magani, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The violence took the lives of over six to seven people. Houses were burnt and it was a season of mayhem.
“The mayhem was attributed to youths who decided to take the laws into their hands. But it had the colouration of religious violence. Everyday, we wake up in this country and we are faced with one form of violence or another. We are now accepting the reality that violence is the way of life.
“It is unfortunate that we wake up everyday and we see killings, kidnappings and other things that shake the stability and unity of this country in every respect.
“I use this opportunity to appeal to all parties involved in all forms of violence to know that we cannot achieve any progress without peace.
“The unity of Nigeria is not about the flag or the anthem, but the establishment of a system that ensures justice, harmony and love among one another. I want the Senate to identify with us in our time of crisis.
“We must live together as Christians and as Muslims in this country. We need to live as people, despite the fact that we are from different parts of the country.”
