Against dangerous labels: A call for truth, responsibility

Amb. Mallam Ibrahim Agunbiade

President Donald Trump’s recent U-turn admitting that Muslims are also being killed in Nigeria, yet insisting the crisis is “mostly Christians” reflects a troubling persistence in a misleading narrative.

While acknowledging Muslim victims is a step toward truth, continuing to frame Nigeria’s tragedy as a “Christian genocide” remains inaccurate and dangerous.

As I argued in my earlier article, Misguided Bombs and Dangerous Narratives, Nigeria’s insecurity is complex, regional, and criminal in nature, not a religious war. Terrorists and bandits kill indiscriminately. Muslims and Christians are both victims.

To impose a sectarian label on these atrocities is to distort reality and risk inflaming religious tensions in a fragile, plural society.

Mr Trump should be advised to abandon religious colouration altogether. What Nigeria faces is human genocide, the mass killing of innocent people by violent non-state actors.

Weaponising faith to explain or respond to this crisis invites misinformation, legitimises reckless interventions, and undermines genuine counterterrorism efforts.

Nigeria needs solidarity grounded in facts, not slogans. Accuracy saves lives; false labels put them in danger.

Agunbiade was written from Ibadan, Oyo State, South-West Nigeria.