The Arewa Peace Foundation has called on the international community, particularly the United States and its allies, to adopt a fair and evidence-based approach when addressing the complex realities of religious violence and insecurity in Nigeria.
In a press statement by its Founder/President, Alhaji Bashar Maianguwa, the organisation expressed concern over the humanitarian and security crises in the country, which have claimed tens of thousands of lives across faiths and regions.
The Foundation noted that public debate, both within and outside Nigeria, often misrepresents the tragedy through a narrow, one-sided narrative that unfairly portrays Muslims as the aggressors and Christians as the only victims.
According to the statement, independent research and on-ground data consistently reveal that a significant majority of victims of Boko Haram, Islamic State-affiliated groups, and criminal bandits in northern Nigeria are themselves Muslims.
The statement cited examples of prominent Muslim clerics who were assassinated for preaching against extremist ideologies, including Sheikh Ja’afar Mahmud Adam, Sheikh Muhammad Auwal Albani Zaria, and Sheikh Umaru Hamza Dan-Maishiyya, among others.
The Arewa Peace Foundation urged the United States Department of State, the European Union, and United Nations agencies to apply the same standards of human-rights advocacy to all victims of violence, regardless of faith.
The organisation also noted the inconsistency in some Western policy circles that criticise domestic security operations in Nigeria while providing limited accountability for the global flow of arms and funding that sustain extremist networks.
The statement emphasised that Nigeria remains a sovereign democracy and welcomes collaboration based on respect, mutual interest, and transparency, but rejects any external attempt to politicize religion or undermine constitutional institutions.
The Arewa Peace Foundation called on faith-based organisations, including the Christian Association of Nigeria and the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs to reject inflammatory rhetorics and work jointly toward credible peace initiatives.
The organisation stressed that violence in Nigeria is not a contest of faiths, but a collective tragedy demanding a unified and rational response.
