By Baba Lawan
October 11, 2025
Teaser summary:
Western powers are again weaponising religion to divide and destabilise African nations. Nigeria must resist foreign propaganda framing insecurity as a religious war—or risk repeating the tragedies of Sudan, Rwanda, and Congo.
When the United States recently claimed that “many Christians are being killed in Nigeria,” it reignited a familiar and dangerous narrative—one that echoes the language of colonial manipulation. Beneath the surface of compassion and human rights concern lies a darker motive: the preservation of Western dominance through division and psychological control.
For decades, neo-colonialism has evolved beyond direct rule into a more sophisticated form of domination—one that controls through narrative, perception, and dependency. Religion has become one of its most effective instruments. And Nigeria—the most populous Black nation on earth, rich in both faith and potential—has become a prime target.
The Colonial Legacy of Division
The blueprint for today’s manipulation was written long ago. During British colonial rule, Nigeria’s multi-ethnic and multi-religious communities were deliberately divided and pitted against one another. That policy of “divide and rule” ensured that unity among the colonised remained impossible, while the empire maintained unchallenged control.
Today, the West continues that strategy under new names—religious freedom reports, humanitarian interventions, and international advocacy. Yet, the intent is unchanged: to create division, justify interference, and sustain dependency.
When Western agencies portray Nigeria as a country where Muslims are systematically persecuting Christians, they are not offering sympathy—they are scripting instability. The end goal is to weaken Nigeria’s unity and moral confidence, making the nation more vulnerable to foreign influence.
The Pattern Across Africa: Lessons Unlearnt
We have seen this movie before—and we know how it ends.
Sudan and South Sudan stand as cautionary tales. For years, Western narratives framed the Sudanese conflict as a religious war between an “Arab Muslim North” and a “Christian South.” After years of pressure and propaganda, Sudan was divided in 2011. The result? Two nations drowning in violence, famine, and economic collapse—while foreign powers quietly profit from their oil.
Rwanda was another victim of manipulation. Colonial Belgium institutionalised ethnic identity between Hutu and Tutsi, setting the stage for the 1994 genocide. Congo—home to some of the world’s richest mineral deposits—has been in perpetual war, ensuring that Western corporations continue to access its resources cheaply. Somalia, once a cohesive Muslim state, is now fractured, hosting foreign military bases under the pretext of “fighting terrorism.”
These are not coincidences—they are patterns of control.
The Nigerian Reality: More Complex Than Religion
Nigeria’s security challenges are real and tragic, but they are not driven by religion. The violence in Plateau, Benue, Zamfara, Kaduna, and Borno is the outcome of terrorism, poverty, and governance failure—not holy war. Boko Haram and ISWAP kill Muslims and Christians alike. Bandits kidnap imams and pastors without discrimination. Their victims are Nigerians, not religious symbols.
Yet, Western reports and media coverage selectively amplify Christian suffering while ignoring Muslim victims. This skewed lens creates resentment, mistrust, and suspicion among Nigerians—exactly the outcome foreign manipulators desire.
To describe Nigeria’s complex insecurity as a religious war is not just lazy analysis—it is a deliberate political act. It plants seeds of hate that could grow into a national tragedy if unchecked.
Pull Quote:
> “The real battle is not between Christians and Muslims—it is between foreign manipulation and national survival.”
The Danger of Letting Others Define Our Story
When a nation allows outsiders to define its story, it forfeits its sovereignty. Western governments and NGOs have mastered the art of agenda-setting. They craft reports, release statistics, and define what the world should think about Nigeria—all without full understanding of local realities.
Once their narrative dominates, they appear as “rescuers,” offering aid, training, or intervention. But history shows that no nation has ever been truly rescued by its exploiters. What begins as “humanitarian help” often ends as political and economic dependence.
A Warning to Nigerians: Learn from History or Relive It
Nigerians must wake up. Our diversity is our strength, but it is being turned against us. Every time a social media post spreads sectarian anger, every time politicians exploit religion for votes, and every time citizens accept foreign propaganda without question, we inch closer to the abyss that swallowed Sudan and Somalia.
Ignorance is the new weapon of subjugation. The less Nigerians understand about global manipulation, the more easily they are divided and ruled. The path to liberation begins with critical education, media literacy, and national consciousness.
We must promote journalism that tells the Nigerian story truthfully, build interfaith alliances that reject foreign interference, and strengthen local institutions to resist external manipulation.
Conclusion: Defining Our Own Narrative
The claim that Nigeria is a slaughterhouse for Christians is not a humanitarian truth—it is a neo-colonial weapon. The West uses it to destabilise Africa’s most strategic nation and to justify perpetual interference.
No foreign government has the moral right to lecture Nigeria on peace or justice when their own histories are drenched in the blood of colonisation and exploitation.
Nigeria’s destiny will not be written in Washington, London, or Brussels—it will be written in Abuja, Kano, Enugu, and Port Harcourt, by Nigerians who understand that unity is our greatest defence against manipulation.
If we fail to learn from history, we will become its next tragedy.
Lawan Musa Danlami, (Baba Lawan)
08065078960
The writer is a public affairs analyst and commentator on African geopolitics. He writes from Kano
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Opinion