Nigeria FoRB Bulletin

The tragic killing of Deborah in Sokoto continues to resurface in national conversations, particularly in debates surrounding other violent incidents such as the Uromi massacre. However, the attempt to draw parallels between these two events is both misleading and concerning. As a society, we must strive to analyze and understand these incidents in their proper contexts rather than forcing ill-suited comparisons. Deborah, a northerner, was murdered by her fellow northerners, most of whom spoke the Hausa language. She was not an outsider; she was surrounded by people she knew, classmates with whom she had laughed, shared moments, and built relationships. It was within this familiar environment that she expressed views that were deemed blasphemous, ultimately leading to her brutal killing. Rather than being reported to authorities, she was subjected to communal mob justice, an act that is both indefensible and unjustifiable. As Frederick Douglass once said, “Where justice is denied, wh...

In a time when religion continues to play a central role in shaping Nigeria's social, political, and cultural identity, it is more urgent than ever to address a deeply complex and often misunderstood issue: the difference between criticism of religion and hatred of religion and religious people. To engage this subject with the depth and seriousness it demands, we must bring together religious leaders, academics, civil society actors, legal experts, government officials, and security agencies for dialogue, reflection, and action. It is critical to distinguish between objective criticism of religious beliefs and reasoning, and sheer hatred directed at religion and religious adherents. This involves examining the role of religious arguments within Nigeria's framework of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). Such an intervention is timely, especially in an era where misinformation, inflammatory rhetoric, and religious intolerance threaten the fragile threads that hold our pluralist...