The sad news that come at the same time from Borno and Kaduna remind the wide public that no one is safe from the scourge of violence, that can quickly spin out of control if not tackled and resolved.It also sheds the light on the fact that, contrary to a pushed narrative, we are not faced with a religiously motivated confrontation.
In Borno it is a Moslem population being targeted by the murderous jihadis and bandits, while in Kaduna Christian populations are the targets.
While the victims come equally from both sides of the fictitious divide, there are people who try to accentuate the separation and polarize these tragic event toward incomprehensible ends.
Dialogue and speech are here to avoid having recourse to physical altercation.
The only end to physical altercation is the realization of the stupidity of its use, and its true evaluation is in terms of loss.
The bandits and radicalized feeble minds who use violence are on a path to defeat psychologically and spiritually.
A country must defend itself through its security apparatus, and overcome the threat to the peace of its citizens.
But public ethnic violence and retaliations must not be accepted without being resolved before they have a chance to occur.
We have witnessed too many years of continuous pressure on the people of Borno, many of whom are farmers and agricultural people as well as city dwellers. Many thousands have died and millions have been displaced in Borno alone.
South Kaduna has recently witnessed similar shocking attacks that left many wondering if the urgency of the situation is reverberating through the mind of the world audience.
FJN prays that Nigeria overcomes this difficult period, and pulls together in unity to achieve peace and tranquility on the totality of its territory.
It is a lie to say it is a confrontation between Christian and Moslem when both are victims of the same offenders.
Both communities must be protected and must imperatively work together to overcome this double attack, based on physically hurting and dividing their victims at the same time.
Africans surely haven’t forgotten that the same strategies were used on them during colonization.
The answer which applied to gain independence then, still applies now.
Solidarity and unity both vertically between the people and their leaders, and horizontally across all cultures of the country.
No one can be left out because of some people’s narrow identity interests.
People of all religions and cultures are under the same threat.
Those calling for religious revenge are committing blasphemy by causing others to either lose their lives by getting killed, or lose their souls by killing others.
Our youth deserve healing not further trauma.
Borno and Kaduna are one.