Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore has once again placed the blame for ongoing violence and killings in Nigeria unequivocally on the Nigerian government, while accusing the international community, particularly the United States, of hypocrisy and selective response to such crises.
In a social media post, Sowore referenced the 2015 Zaria massacre, where the Nigerian Army killed over 340 members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, under the leadership of Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, which he described as a state-sponsored act of genocide that was never properly recognized.
“The US government didn’t designate this as a genocide against Muslims because Shiites were seen as proxies of the state of Iran. Also, some Nigerian Muslims didn’t see anything wrong with what the Buhari, a Muslim President, murderous regime did,” Sowore stated.
He accused the Nigerian government of continuous use of violence against its own citizens, and cited instances of military destruction of Odi in Bayelsa State and the massacre in Zaki Biam, Benue State, as examples of how past administrations have carried out brutal attacks with impunity. He said such actions cross ethnic and religious divisions has made it clear that the real problem results from leadership, not faith.
Sowore also recalled the #EndSARS protests, where security forces were accused of killing peaceful demonstrators, and called it as another clear case of state-sponsored violence, demanding accountability and justice in governance.
In a more recent video posted on his social media page, captioned “The Nigerian government, by omission and commission, has become both the enabler and beneficiary of this genocide,” Sowore amplified his stance beyond any single incident or community.
“There’s a genocide against the poor in this country. There’s a genocide against Muslims in this country. There’s a genocide against Christians in this country. There’s a genocide against children in this country,” he said, emphasizing that the pattern of killings in Nigeria affects everyone, regardless of religion or region.
He debunked the global portrayal that singles out one religious group as the sole victim of violence in Nigeria, and asked why the same governments that condemn attacks on Christians in Nigeria remain silent about Israeli assaults on Palestinians in Gaza. “Why is the U.S not taking the same position in Gaza? There’s a genocide against Muslims by Israel! There’s international hypocrisy about that,” he said.
According to Sowore, the real issue is irresponsible leadership and worsening insecurity across Nigeria, not religion. “The problem with Nigeria has nothing to do with religion. It’s completely the irresponsible leadership and insecurity that kills everybody,” he said, adding that many victims in recent attacks in the North were Muslims killed by other Muslims.
He cited the example of a mosque attack in Katsina where dozens were killed during prayers, and added that such tragedies show a failed state where the government can no longer guarantee citizens’ safety.
Sowore criticized how foreign governments form policies based on biased stories, and said these actions only fuel divisions instead of addressing Nigeria’s insecurity.
“We like to water down the responsibility of our leaders. This is not an alibi. And now the U.S will come with a policy to say they want to protect the Christians. It’s okay, let’s all bring a big boat to take the Christians out and see if nobody will get killed again,” he said sarcastically.
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