“Be Careful What You Wish For”
Nigeria is teetering on a knife-edge. If we allow religious labels to harden into battlegrounds, there will be no winners — only a country flattened by violence, suspicion and long-lasting grief.
Too many of our conversations about security and loss are framed as competitions of suffering. Some claim a “Christian genocide”; others respond by insisting that the victims have been and remain mostly Muslim. Facts matter — selectively weaponized narratives do not. What pains me most is seeing friendships strained, trust eroded, and communities pushed into silence or performative guilt. I am told, in effect, to be a quiet Northern Muslim who bears blame for everyone’s misfortune — or else lose friends.
This is dangerously familiar. Imperial powers once ruled by turning people against one another; divide, distract, and dominate. We must not repeat those mistakes in our own time. When neighbours trade accusations for answers, and when grief becomes a contest, the soil of our nation is prepared for ruin.
We need three things urgently: truth, accountability, and unity anchored in justice. Truth means honest, verifiable reporting of attacks and victims, without political or sectarian spin. Accountability means that perpetrators — whoever they are — face consistent investigation and prosecution, not selective blame. Unity does not mean silence about real grievances; it means refusing to let identity be the shorthand for guilt or innocence.
If we value Nigeria, we must reject narratives that set one faith against another as a path to salvation. That is a shortcut to catastrophe. Speak up for the truth. Demand justice for all victims, not just the ones that confirm a convenient story. Hold leaders to account. And above all, refuse to be used as a wedge.
Be careful what you wish for your country. If we choose vengeance or suspicion, we will all lose. If we choose justice and honest reckoning, there is still a chance to rebuild together.
— Hf Dauda MoiSoro
