Reject divisive religious narratives, IPCR tells Nigerians

The Director-General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Joseph Ochogwu, has urged religious leaders, policymakers and other stakeholders to reject divisive narratives.

He said such narratives were capable of deepening religious tensions and undermining national cohesion in the country.

Ochogwu spoke on Friday in Abuja at the Quarterly Policy Review Dialogue of the Network of Policymakers and Religious Leaders to Support Peace, Security and Reconciliation in Nigeria.

The dialogue, organised by the IPCR in partnership with the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, had as its theme, “Moving Beyond ‘Us versus Them’: Strengthening Local Governance, Security and Foreign Relations to Protect Freedom of Religion or Belief in Nigeria.”

In his remarks, Ochogwu said protecting freedom of religion and belief in Nigeria required evidence-based public discourse, accountable institutions, impartial security operations and stronger collaboration among government, religious institutions and communities.

Ochogwu warned that exaggerated and polarising accounts of insecurity, particularly those presenting complex security challenges exclusively through religious identities, could deepen mistrust and reinforce divisions.

The IPCR DG said the issue had assumed greater national and international significance amid concerns over attacks on Nigerians, including incidents involving communities targeted on the basis of their religious identities.

He also acknowledged the international attention generated by the United States’ designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern.

He said, “The subject has assumed greater national and international significance in view of concerns surrounding violent attacks against some Nigerians, including incidents in which victims and communities have been targeted on the basis of their religious identity.

“These concerns have attracted considerable international attention, particularly following the designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern by the United States of America.

“While we recognise the legitimate concerns surrounding attacks, insecurity, religious intolerance and the protection of vulnerable communities, it is equally important that public discourse on these matters remains factual, balanced and informed by evidence.

“Inappropriate, exaggerated or polarising messaging, particularly when it presents complex security challenges exclusively through religious identities, can deepen mistrust, reinforce divisions and undermine the very efforts required to promote peace and national cohesion.”

Ochogwu stressed the need to distinguish legitimate advocacy for religious freedom from narratives that could fuel further polarisation.

“Our collective responsibility is to ensure that concerns about violations of religious freedom are addressed constructively, that victims receive justice and protection, and that public discourse contributes to national understanding rather than further polarisation,” he added.

He noted that although Nigeria had constitutional, legal and institutional frameworks guaranteeing freedom of religion and prohibiting religious discrimination, their effectiveness depended on practical implementation.

According to him, protecting religious freedom requires more than constitutional declarations or diplomatic explanations. It demands demonstrable commitment through effective governance, impartial security responses and accountability for violations.

He identified local governance, security administration and foreign relations as three critical areas requiring stronger policy interventions.

The IPCR boss called for more responsive local government institutions, traditional rulers and community leaders capable of addressing grievances, preventing discrimination and resolving conflicts before they escalated into violence.

He also urged security agencies to adopt professional, intelligence-driven and impartial approaches that respect constitutional guarantees and human rights.

On foreign relations, Ochogwu said Nigeria needed to strengthen bilateral and multilateral partnerships to improve international cooperation on religious freedom, intolerance and identity-based conflicts.

Presenting the lead paper, a Professor of Law at Nile University of Nigeria, Shehu Zuru, blamed the country’s worsening social divisions on hatred, weak moral values, failed leadership and the erosion of common humanity.

He argued that the “Us versus Them” mentality thrived in societies where hatred and social acrimony had overwhelmed the people’s belief systems.

Zuru said Nigeria’s security challenges were also linked to poor governance, widespread poverty, weak local leadership and the inability of successive administrations to establish a national consensus on development priorities.

He called on the Federal Government to address the issue of local government autonomy, arguing that effective governance at the grassroots was essential to tackling insecurity and other social problems.

“The Federal Government, if it is serious about effective public policy governance at the rural level, must stop playing the ostrich on the issue of local government autonomy and confront the issue head on,” he said.

The professor also argued that Nigeria could not defeat terrorism, banditry and other forms of organised insecurity without international cooperation, noting that such threats often had transnational dimensions.

He called for stronger diplomatic engagements and partnerships with countries capable of providing advanced military equipment and intelligence support for counter-insurgency operations.

On his part, the Chairman of the Northern Christian Association of Nigeria, John Hayab, warned against framing Nigeria’s security challenges solely as conflicts between Christians and Muslims.

He identified impunity, weak institutions, economic marginalisation and elite manipulation as major factors sustaining divisions and insecurity.

Hayab said such framing was politically convenient but analytically weak, adding that it prevented authorities from identifying the actual causes of violence.

He urged Nigerians to expose criminality regardless of the religious affiliation of perpetrators rather than shielding offenders because they belonged to their faith communities.

“If my brother, because he goes to church, will cause Nigeria a problem, I should be strong enough to expose him and let Nigeria know that these people are like that,” he said.

The cleric also called for stronger grassroots engagement involving traditional rulers, religious leaders, local government officials and community stakeholders to improve early warning and conflict prevention.

He cited peacebuilding efforts in Kaduna, which he said helped sustain relative stability in the state between November 2002 and April 2011.

Hayab further urged security agencies to incorporate human rights and freedom of religion training into their operations, insisting that nobody should enjoy immunity from prosecution because of religious or ethnic identity.

“Anybody that violates the general law is not above the law, whether he’s a Christian or a Muslim, a Southerner or a Northerner. Whatever kind of identity you call it, the law is meant for Nigerians,” he said.

He maintained that Nigerians must begin to see insecurity and attacks against any community as a national problem rather than the concern of a particular religious group.