Abuja: Amid renewed discussions about Nigeria’s security challenges, particularly its recent designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) by the United States, key Nigerian groups and peace advocates are calling for unity, caution, and locally driven reforms to address the ongoing violence by Boko Haram and other militant organizations affecting communities across the country. Their message is clear: The Boko Haram insurgency and the insecurity within the nation remain a national tragedy affecting both Christians and Muslims, and the priority should be building internal harmony and strengthening homegrown solutions to restore peace.
According to Global Voices, for over a decade, Boko Haram, formally known as Jamaatu Ahlis-Sunnah lid Daawati wal-Jihad, has waged a brutal insurgency across Nigeria’s northeast and the wider Lake Chad region. Founded in 2002, the insurgent group began to launch violent attacks in the region in 2009. Boko Haram leaders oppose Western-style education and seek to impose strict Islamic law, though only about half of the country’s population identifies as Muslim. Its atrocities have included bombings of churches and mosques, large-scale kidnappings such as the 2014 abduction of 276 Chibok schoolgirls, and attacks on markets, bus stations, and military facilities.
The humanitarian consequences have been devastating, with reports of around 35,000 civilian deaths and over 2 million displacements due to the conflict. Despite frequent assumptions that Boko Haram primarily targets Christians, the group’s victims span religious lines. Former President Muhammadu Buhari once highlighted this reality, stating in 2020 that some 90 percent of all Boko Haram’s victims have been Muslims, emphasizing that the insurgency has shattered communities regardless of faith.
The designation led to debates among Muslims and Christians within Nigeria, especially on social media, each claiming to be the most affected by the decades of violence. In the midst of these debates, several peace advocates, including both Muslim and Christian leaders, are calling for restraint, unity, and dialogue. They are urging Nigerians to implement locally driven reforms to address the ongoing violence and build long-term peace.
The Nigerian government has recently intensified efforts to combat Boko Haram and related insurgent groups through a combination of military, financial, security, and rehabilitation measures. The government increased military firepower and successfully reclaimed territories previously occupied by insurgents. Security funding has been boosted, with additional equipment supplied to security agencies, and greater recognition given to local vigilante and hunter groups. Discussions on strengthening state policing have also been revived.
The military and other security forces have made efforts to trace and block Boko Haram’s funding channels, including kidnapping for ransom, illegal levies, and external financial support. International partners such as the United Nations (UN) and European Union (EU) are being engaged to assist in these efforts. Given the cross-border nature of the insurgency, a new strategy was introduced involving the deployment of forest guards across more than 1,100 forests used as insurgent hideouts, enhancing security in the areas. State governments have also invested significantly in rehabilitation and reintegration programmes for repentant fighters to reduce active militant numbers.
The Northern Consensus Movement for Peace, Unity, Empowerment and Development Initiative (NSNCM) added its voice, warning against what it described as foreign-driven narratives that risk inflaming religious division. Awwal Abdullahi Aliyu, the organization’s National President, noted that Nigerians have lived side by side in peace for decades and that unity is their strength. He dismissed claims of a government-sponsored campaign against Christians and noted that the killings and kidnappings across Nigeria affect both Christians and Muslims. Labeling the situation as Christian genocide, he added, is inaccurate and misleading.
Similarly, the Kaduna chapter of the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria (SCSN) rejected the US classification. The Council Secretary, engineer Hassan Abdul Rahman, said the decision reflects a one-sided narrative that ignores the complex realities driving violence across Nigeria. He argued that Nigeria’s insecurity stems from a complex web of ethnic, political, and economic challenges, not a religiously motivated war. The allegations of Christian genocide, he said, are false and threaten national unity. He urged Nigerians to avoid falling into sectarian traps encouraged by external forces.
Pastor Yohanna Buru, founder of the Peace Revival and Reconciliation Foundation, pointed to the ongoing regrouping by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) as core drivers of insecurity, rather than a campaign targeting Christians. He emphasized that the crisis is more complex than the narratives given, listing political issues, religious-heterogeneous differences, and extremism as factors. He outlined a broad list of peace-building strategies, calling for justice, equity, dialogue, job opportunities for youth, and inclusiveness in leadership at all levels.
Former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme and peace advocate Usman Yusuf, a professor of haematology-oncology from Ahmadu Bello University, similarly urged calm, saying Nigerians must not allow rumors or misleading narratives to fracture interfaith relations. He warned against politicizing security and stressed the need to end corruption at all levels. Religious leaders who preach hatred, he argued, must be banned or punished decisively. He called for strong interfaith engagement between Muslims and Christians.
The coalition group Northern Christian Youth Professionals (NCYP) commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for recent reforms in the security sector. The group expressed particular support for the newly approved Armed Forest Guard and renewed calls for State Police. NCYP reminded the government that although President Tinubu approved the Forest Guard initiative on May 14, 2025, its implementation has had limited impact due to the alienation of forest communities from the initiative. They insisted that local communities and traditional rulers must guide recruitment, saying these communities are naturally more motivated and committed to ending the menace.