In moments of national crisis, there is a tendency to reach for simple labels and explanations to make sense of complex tragedies. There are multiple types of conflicts unfolding in Nigeria which cannot be boiled down to being merely a religious issue, nor solely an ethnic one. However, what is clear is that there is a genocide happening, and by deflecting and downplaying this with rhetoric, the government is violating its fundamental constitutional obligation as a state which protects its citizens. This, following Trump’s recent outcry and his threatening ultimatum to the Nigerian government, stating that unless the killing of Christians is stopped, US troops could be deployed ‘guns-a-blazing’ to wipe out the terrorists. His emphasis on Christian deaths begs the once more resurfacing question: Is it about Christians or Nigerians? It is a question rooted in grief, frustration, and years of unaddressed violence.

However, it is also a question that reveals something deeply broken in how the nation and the international community respond to mass atrocities. Is the ongoing genocide really as black and white as Trump portrays it?

One of the most painful aspects of this crisis is how quickly conversations devolve into competition over victimhood. Tinubu’s government decided to respond to Trump’s wake-up call by refuting the claim that Nigeria is ‘religiously intolerant’ as well as pointing out how victims of all faiths, not just Christians, and vehemently denying the reality of a Christian genocide. This quibbling over semantics misses the point entirely and solves nothing. The government is so focused on maintaining that Nigeria is a country void of religious intolerance, yet there are ongoing systemic anti-Christian attacks on a large scale. Less than 24 hours ago, as I write this, an armed attack in a Church in Eruku, Kwara state, claimed the lives of two members of its congregation. What is this, if not the very definition of religious intolerance? The attack was even live-streamed. This evidence is a symptom of the reality of a Christian genocide that should never be downplayed, and Tinubu’s government has certainly done just that. The bottom line is that yes, civilians of all faiths are being targeted, notwithstanding that one cannot ignore the rife and religiously intolerant ideology of jihadism that groups such as ISWAP and Boko Haram use and have used to justify such horrific attacks in the name of religion.

 Of course, the fact is not who in particular is being killed; it’s that citizens are being killed. Of course, all lives matter equally. There has even been much debate about whether it is ‘really genocide’ or whether it is ‘really persecution’, as if Nigerians need to fit into a perfect analytical category before their deaths count.

We need to start thinking of Nigerian citizens as a collective who are being targeted. Time and time again, the Nigerian state has repeatedly failed to protect vulnerable communities and bring perpetrators to justice. It is ultimately a genocide against Nigerians. Indeed, they are Nigerian citizens, whose lives the government is constitutionally bound to protect. This blame-shirking laissez-faire stance it takes is as harmful to its citizens as it is neglectful. Because of this inaction, a human catastrophe has been allowed to escalate. For PSJUK, our overarching message is clear: whether the victims be Christian, Muslim, traditionalists or of no religion whatsoever, these are human beings whose lives are being systematically destroyed. Our mission is simple; we aim to hold Nigeria’s leaders accountable so they can stop ignoring this issue.   

So, when we ask, ‘Is it About Christians or Nigerians?’ we are really asking another question: When will every Nigerian life matter enough for our leaders to act? Until that question is answered with action, the work continues.

CREDIT: Christopher Britton