A social media activist, Dr. Zainab Suleiman Buhari has lamented the growing hypocrisy in Nigeria’s response to violence and killings, saying it is fueling the country’s insecurity crisis. In a recent statement on her Facebook Wall, Dr. Buhari expressed dismay over Nigerians’ selective outrage over lives lost in different parts of the country.
According to Dr. Buhari, Nigerians tend to prioritize lives based on regional and religious affiliations, rather than valuing human life universally. She lamented that “while the North cares about Northern lives only when a Northerner loses his life in the South, the South cares about Southern lives only when a Southerner loses his life in the North.” This double standard, she argued, is one of the reasons banditry, Boko Haram, and other forms of violence continue to plague the country.
The medical doctor and public commentator also pointed out that religious groups exhibit similar hypocrisy. “Muslims care about Muslims’ lives only when a Muslim loses his life in a Christian state,” she said. “Christians speak about Christians’ lives when a Christian loses his life in a Muslim or Northern region.” This selective outrage, Dr. Buhari believes, emboldens perpetrators of violence and undermines efforts to address the root causes of insecurity.
Dr. Buhari also drew parallels between the North’s tolerance of banditry and Boko Haram, and the Southeast’s perceived tolerance of Unknown Gunmen and IPOB. “The North overlooks banditry and Boko Haram, including terrorists, the same way the Southeast overlooks Unknown Gunmen and IPOB,” she stated.
According to her, this hypocrisy makes it difficult to tackle crimes effectively.
The expert called for a more consistent and collective approach to addressing insecurity in Nigeria. “We cannot get rid of crimes until we fight internal criminals the same way we are fighting external criminals,” Dr. Buhari emphasized.
She urged Nigerians to recognize the value of human life, regardless of ethnic, religious, or regional background.
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