This morning, while listening to Splash FM 105.5 FM during the “State Affairs” programme anchored by Edmund Obilo, I became deeply concerned by the dangerous direction of the discussion surrounding insecurity in Oyo State and parts of the South-West region.
During the programme, references were repeatedly made to kidnappers and criminal gangs operating in parts of Oyo State as “Islamic jihadists,” with claims that they have now invaded the South-West in a bid to conquer the region and establish dominance. Such sweeping and emotionally charged narratives may attract public attention, but they are not only misleading; they are also capable of creating dangerous religious tension in an already fragile society.
The recent attack in the Oriire Local Government axis, where teachers and pupils were reportedly abducted from schools, was indeed tragic and condemnable. Every responsible citizen must rise against such barbaric acts. However, the question that must be asked is this: since when did kidnapping schoolchildren become an Islamic mission? Since when did abducting innocent teachers and pupils become a religious obligation?
It is both irresponsible and intellectually dishonest to automatically label every violent criminal activity involving suspected Fulani bandits or kidnappers as “Islamic jihad.” Criminality should remain criminality. Evil should be called evil without dragging religion into matters where religion itself clearly stands opposed to such actions.
What makes this even more disturbing is that many of the victims of these attacks are themselves Muslims. Among the kidnapped pupils and affected families are Muslims whose lives have been shattered by these same criminals. So, how does one logically arrive at the conclusion that these kidnappers are fighting an “Islamic cause” while terrorizing Muslim communities and targeting Muslim children?
Islam, as a religion, has never permitted the kidnapping of innocent people, attacks on schools, or the creation of fear and instability in society. Those who commit such crimes are enemies of humanity and enemies of peace, regardless of the language they speak or the religion they claim.
In fact, respected Islamic bodies and leaders in Oyo State have openly condemned these criminal acts. The Oyo State chapter of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has issued statements condemning insecurity and calling for urgent government intervention. Likewise, the Grand Imam of Oyo, Sheikh (Barrister) Bilal Husayn Akinola Akeugberu, alongside prominent Islamic organizations, including MUSWEN, have publicly expressed concern and called on authorities to intensify efforts toward rescuing victims and restoring peace.
These are the voices that deserve amplification in our public discourse, voices of reason, peace, unity, and responsibility. Unfortunately, when media narratives lean toward religious profiling instead of objective analysis, they risk inflaming ethnic and religious suspicion among citizens who have coexisted peacefully for decades.
The role of the media in times of insecurity is not merely to sensationalize fear or promote divisive assumptions. Journalism carries a moral burden. Broadcasters and public commentators must exercise caution in their choice of words, especially in a multi-religious and multi-ethnic society like Nigeria. Words are powerful. A careless narrative repeated consistently can gradually poison public perception and sow seeds of hatred among innocent people.
Nobody denies the seriousness of insecurity in the South-West. Communities are under pressure. Farmers are afraid. Travelers are anxious. Parents are worried. But solving insecurity requires facts, intelligence gathering, effective policing, and sincere governance, not religious stereotyping.
We must avoid turning a security crisis into a religious war narrative. Once criminality is wrongly framed as a battle between religions, the real perpetrators hide behind the confusion while innocent citizens suffer discrimination and hostility.
The government at all levels must strengthen local security architecture, equip law enforcement agencies adequately, improve intelligence operations, and ensure that criminal elements are arrested and prosecuted. Traditional rulers, community leaders, religious institutions, and civil society groups must also work together in promoting vigilance and unity instead of suspicion and division.
At this critical moment, Nigerians must refuse to allow fear to destroy the peaceful coexistence that binds communities together. Kidnappers are criminals, not representatives of any faith. Terrorists are enemies of humanity, not ambassadors of religion.
The fight before us is not Islam versus Christianity, nor North versus South. The real battle is between law-abiding citizens and criminal elements threatening the peace of society.
Anything short of that understanding only deepens the crisis.
Mallam Ibrahim Agunbiade
Taalib Jami’ei, Islamic Propagation Rabwa Saudi Arabia
