Journal Research in Peace, Gender and Development (JRPGD) Vol. 4(4) pp. 70-79, July, 2014
DOI: http:/dx.doi.org/10.14303/jrpgd.2014.014
Available online http://www. interesjournals.org/ JRPGD
Copyright © 2014 International Research Journals
Review
Enhancing lasting religious peace and harmony in the
Northern Nigeria
Owolabi Jacob Awoju
Department of Christian Theology, School of Arts And Social Sciences, National Open University of Nigeria, 14/16
Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos.
E-mail: jowolabi@noun.edu.ng; Tel: 234-805-818-9527
Abstract
The search for religious tolerance in the Northern Nigeria has become paramount to the inhabitants of
the area owing to religious violence that had engulfed the region for several years now. The paper
examined some of the religious riots that took place in the region. The paper suggests measures that
could be instituted in order to put an end to it. The researcher used historical method to collect the data
for the paper. This is because the work is based on historical issues about the various violent that took
place in the Northern Nigeria. The paper aims at searching for the possible ways that will enhance
lasting religious peace and harmony in the Northern Nigeria. The paper recommend the followings:
Religion leaders in the Northern Nigeria need to place more Emphasis on the area of theological
agreement rather than dwell on divisive religious issues that cause religious unrest in the area.
Government should hand off from the religious issues in the area and allow religionists to take care of
their affairs. Nigerian Armed Forces need be at alert always in order to avert the future plan of the
religious Militants that causes religion unrest in the area. Every inhabitant in the area should be vigilant
and be alert to report any suspected evil planner that wants to cause violent in the area to the Nigeria
Armed Forces on time. Immediate action should be taken by the forces to avert the evil plan. Youths in
the Northern Nigeria should be empowered with self –employment skills that will enable them earn their
living in the area. Government should sanction leaders and other religionists who allow religious riot to
take place in his domain in the Northern Nigeria. Reporters need not incite religionists against one
another whenever religious riot occurs in the area. This paper asserts that if the above measure or
steps are considered and implemented by the religionist, traditional rulers, Armed Forces and the Three
Tiers of Governments in Nigeria, peace, love, unity, co –existence and harmony will be restored in the
Northern Nigeria forever.
Keywords: Northern Nigeria, Frequent cases of religious violent, Religionists Need religious tenets, Frequent
Dialogue, Skills for self –empowerment, Citizens vigilant, Government hand off religion matters, co- existence
and peace reigns.
INTRODUCTION
The search for religious tolerance in the Northern parts of
Nigeria has become enigma to the citizens of the area.
This is because the Northern Nigeria has been engulfed
in perpetual religious violence for several years now. For
instance, the presence of Samuel Ajayi Crowther at
Gbobe {igbebe} in 1857 to plant Christianity in the area
was not considered favourable by Islam adherents who
dominated this part of Nigeria. Ajayi’s activities at Gbobe
were seen as a threat to lslamic religion. For example, he
built a mud Church and Primary School where people
received the Western education instead of the Quran
education that was known to them. He converted and
baptized eight adults into Christianity. He also baptized a
child in the area. Ajayi’s aim was to cultivate godly virtues
in the children at Gbobe. He provided avenue for
teaching them the word of God right from their youthful
days. All these actions of Ajayi were seen as means of
kicking against the religion of Islam which has been
accepted by the Gbobe people. In order to stop the
spread of the Christianity in the Northern part of Nigeria,
other religion adherents arrested Samuel Ajayi Crowther
and locked him up in a room at Gbobe. He was held to
Awoju 71
ransom by the Chief of Gbobe village. However, William
Fell made an attempt to rescue him from the mob, but
was killed by a poisonous arrow that was shot at him
during the rescue operation. The colonial government
sent soldiers to fight the natives of Gbobe on the behalf
of the Anglican Church. The soldiers burnt the farm crops
of the Gbobe people and fired guns on some of the
people of Gbobe. Many people were killed while others
were wounded there. This was the beginning of the
religious violence in the Northern Nigeria. However, the
soldiers succeeded in rescuing Samuel Ajayi Crowther
from the hands of the mob. He then relocated from
Gbobe to Lokoja in 1867 and at his new location; he built
a mud Church and Primary School in 1867. Ajayl made
Lokoja the Headquarters of the mission station for the
spread of Christianity to the Northern Nigeria. He used
both the Church and the School to evangelize the religion
to the inhabitant of Lokoja town and environ.
The invitation of the Church missionary Society
Samuel Ajayi Crowther requested the Church Missionary
Society (the Anglican Church) in Lagos to send more
evangelists to Lokoja mission area and help to spread the
religion of Christianity from there towards other parts of
the Northern Nigeria. Evangelists Thomas Bako, Burgin
and Dr. Miller were sent to Lokoja mission station.
Evangelist Bako built another mission station on the
hilltop at Lokoja. Evangelist Bako, a native of Nupe
accompanied the Niger mission members to spread the
gospel from Lokoja to other places of the Northern
Nigeria. At Gierku, some people including the adherents
of Islamic religion in the village confronted Evangelist
Bako and others for the introduction of the Christian
religion in the Northern Nigeria. The people of Gierku had
accepted the religion of Islam as the only true religion for
the mankind. The mob tried to capture two boys that
accompanied Bako to spread the gospel to the people.
He defended the two boys, but was shot with a poisoned
arrow twice. Bako fell on the ground and his murderers
cut him with knives. The two boys managed to take him
rd
to Lokoja by boat. He died at Lokoja town on the 3 June,
1902. The colonial government through the GovernorGeneral, Lord Fredrick Lugard at Lokoja sent a White
Officer with fifty trained native soldiers to the village
where Evangelist Bako was shot with the arrow. On
seeing the soldiers, the natives confronted them, but the
colonial forces overpowered them, drove them back;
burnt their houses, farmlands and crops into ashes. The
soldiers took the King of the village alive to Lokoja. This
incident that happened at Gierku was the second
religious strife that took place in the Northern Nigeria in
the early period of the spreading of Christianity to the
populated Muslim area (Crampton 1976).
Nigeria, a Multi-cultural and Multi-Religious Area
Another reason why religious tolerance was promoted
among the inhabitants of the Northern Nigeria is that the
area consists of multi-cultural and multi-religious people.
But religionists had overlooked these factors and they
tried to force people to accept their faiths. The fact that
the area was a multi-cultural and multi-religious was
acknowledged by Alhaji Abubakar III, the Sultan of
Sokoto, who was also the President of the Nigerian
Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs. The Sultan’s appeal
came as a result of the frequent religious violence that
erupted in Kaduna State in March, 1987 which destroyed
both human lives and property. Since 1987 the area has
consistently witnessed more religious violence in which
human lives and property were destroyed till date.12 For
example, the tension created over Sharia Law in the
1970’s, the Maitatsine religious violence in Kano (in 1977,
1979 and 1980), and in Zaria (in 1981), in Yola and
Gombe (in 1984). When one adds similar violence which
took place in Ilorin during the Easter Sunday (in 1986),
where Saint Paul’s Anglican Church, Baboko, was burnt
and property destroyed. The OIC Controversy in 1986
caused religious violence of which many people were
killed in parts of Kaduna and Kano States (in 1987) as
well as the crisis in Kaduna Polytechnic (in 1988), then
one has a legitimate reason to be concerned about
seeking religious peace in the Northern Nigeria. Equally,
it will be quite understandable the reason why Lt. Col.
Abubakar Dangiwa Umar, former Military Governor of
Kaduna State who frustrated constant religious violence
15
in the state was reported to have said:
I don’t care if I am sacked by the Head of States. It will
be a good omen, because I am fed up with the increasing
squabbles in the State.
The events seemed to suggest that some people in
Northern Nigeria are still nursing mythical ideas in their
warped minds about reviving past glories (Osume, C.E.
1988). This observation appears confirmed by the Military
Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida in his
broadcast to the Nation on the 16th of March, 1987,
concerning the disturbances in Kaduna State. General
Babangida stated quite categorically that: Police
investigations in Kafanchan riot had been traced to
religion intolerance, the wanton destruction of lives and
property in Kaduna, Zaria, Katsina, Funtua and other
places in Kaduna State, were carefully planned and
masterminded by evil men with sinister motives, who saw
the incident in Kafanchan as an opportunity to subvert the
Federal Military Government and the Nigeria Nation
(Daudu, 2001).
General Babangida noted the method and the
deliberately selective destruction of human lives and
property, the presence of scheming minds who, for their
self interests were attempting to undermine the security
and stability of (Northern) Nigeria. That perhaps
explained why he called it a “Civilian equivalent of an
attempted coup d’etat organized against the Federal
Government and the (Northern States) or the Nigeria nation.
The point being made here is that, for whatever reasons,
and regardless of who the perpetrators mighty be, the
72 J. Res. Peace Gend. Dev.
frequent occurrences of religious strife calls for an urgent
search for harmonious, peaceful co-existence in the
Northern Nigeria. The primary aim of this paper is
therefore to proffer measures which could be taken to
forestall future religious crises. If the issue of peace,
harmony and religious coexistence are not seriously and
urgently handled, then the Northern Nigeria mighty as
well consider herself, in the words of Abdullmen Anao of
the University of Lagos as sitting on a time bomb,
tickling away slowly ---- In the name of religion .
Northern people desire peace
Another point which validates this research work for
peaceful co-existence among the adherents of Islam and
Christianity resident in the Northern Nigeria is that the
generality of the people of the Northern Nigeria desire
peace, love and harmony. For instance, in the nationwide
broadcast culminating in the Easter message of April 17,
1987, General Babangida he urged Nigerians especially
the Northern people to tolerate one another, regardless of
their religious persuasions. More appeals for religious
tolerance and harmony came from General Sani Abacha
to the people who lived in the Northern parts of Nigeria.
Prince Tony Mommoh also gave an example of countries
such as India, Ireland which had experienced the adverse
effects of religious war; and stated that Nigerians cannot
afford it. Osume (1988) also emphasized that if the
frequent religious turmoil are not contained now and
nipped in the bud, Nigeria might explode in a religious
conflagration in which there would be neither victor nor
vanquished, but a sad disintegration of an otherwise
promising nation. He further said that the various
appeals for tolerance and peaceful coexistence are very
timely20. Osume further said that religious leaders were
not left out in the quest for peace and tolerance in
Nigeria. He quoted Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki as saying:
“On behalf of the twelve Muslim members of the
Advisory Council for Religious Affairs: “We
realize that without peace, nothing can be
achieved. You can be rest assured that, on our
side, we will do everything possible to convince
everybody that there is need to maintain peace,
and we must maintain peace in this country
(Nigeria).
The Right Reverend Uwadi pledged, on behalf of the
twelve members of the Christian Association of Nigeria
(CAN), that they would also “make sure that the unhappy
incidence of intolerance, religious misunderstanding and
strife (crises) came to an end”.
also validate the aim of this work”, the way
forward to religious peace and harmony in the
Northern Nigeria”.
In order for peace to reign in the Northern Nigeria, this
paper suggests that common themes in Islam and
Christianity should be taught to religious adherents by
their leaders. They are:
The concept of God
The adherents of Islam in the Northern Nigeria believe in
the conception of God which indicates God as the
cornerstone of Islam and a way of life.24 Chapter 112 of
the Holy Qur’an gives the Islamic concept of God as
follows:
It says: He, Allah, is unique. Allah is He on
whom all creatures depend …….
This verse of Chapter 112 of the Qur’an shows that God
must be worshipped by Muslims of the Northern Nigeria.
Whoever worships Allah must fear Him and obey His
commandments on the earth.
Ayatul-Kursiyy or the verse of the Throne lists the ten
important information about God thus:
1.
God is the only Being to be worshipped.
2.
He is always alive and will never die. He is
therefore Eternal.
3.
In His eternity, He does not need anything like
slumber or sleep to sustain Himself.
4.
All existences contained in the universe belong to
Him.
5.
None of the existences can operate in any way
whatsoever without God’s permission.
6.
God’s knowledge covers all times: past, present
and future, so does it cover all things.
7.
Man can only know what God wants him to know.
8.
God’s authority covers the whole universe.
9.
He continuously and tirelessly protects the
interest of the universe.
10.
Finally, He is Supreme above every other being.
The above quoted verses of the Qur’an teach that Allah
created the heavens and the earth and all that they
contain in six days.
Qur’an 23:12-14 (Al-Mu’minun) says: Certainly We (Allah)
created man of an extract of clay, then we placed him as
(a drop of sperm in a place of rest, firmly fixed). Then we
made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; then We
made the clot a lump (of focus) and then made the lump
into bones and clothed the bones with flesh. Then we
developed another creature out of it, so, blessed he
Allah, the Best of Creators.
Isma’il A.B. Balogun (1993) says:
Osume said:
The aforementioned comments confirm the
religious plurality of the Northern Nigeria. They
Among the works of Allah is that He constantly caters for
all His creatures, prominent among whom are human
beings. He makes His other creatures subservient to man
Awoju 73
and provides man with his means of sustenance.
Balogun (1993) further stated that nobody can do
Allah’s works as He has done them. Whatever man
does, it is only by the permission of Allah; and there are
many works of Allah which none else can do at all. In
this respect, Qur’an 31:10 and 11 (Luqman) says:
He (Allah) created the heavens without any pillars that
you can see; He set on the earth mountains standing
firm, lest it should shake with you and He scattered
through it beasts of all kinds.
We (Allah) send down rain from the sky and produced
on the earth every kind of noble creatures, in pairs, such
is the creation of Allah; now show me what is there that
others besides Him have created; nay, but the
transgressors are in manifest error.
In the aforementioned discussion, we have observed
that it is Allah who created man (human being) and he
placed him in a place of rest, firmly fixed. The Northern
people of Nigeria should know that Allah exists, he sees
everything that is happening, such as killing of human
being, crises and the destruction of fellow human and
their property in all parts of the region. Muslims in the
Northern Nigeria need to fear Allah and His works and
put an end to the murdering of their fellow human beings
which are created by Allah. If they could do this, one
belief that peace, coexistence and harmony will be
restored in all parts of the region. Northerners will see
human beings as one of the handiworks of Allah that
must not be destroyed by any religious sect in the region.
Besides, since Allah is the sustainer of the universe,
people should trust Him for His provisions. They must
not let rich people use them for their selfish or personal
aggrandizement.
In addition, Imams or Muslim leaders should start
teaching their adherents some of the attributes of Allah
that can help all inhabitants of the Northern Nigeria to
respect Allah and honour His handiworks, promote
peace, unity, harmony and peaceful coexistence among
the people in the Region.
In this paper, we need to mention some of the
attributes of Allah that Muslim leaders must teach their
followers in order to allow everlasting peace to reign in
the Northern part of Nigeria. Amongst the attributes of
Allah that need to be taught to Islam adherents in the
Northern Nigeria are as follows:
1.
Al-Wujud: Existence (that is, Allah has always
existed).
2.
Al-Qidam: The Alpha (that is, the First Being that
ever existed from eternity).
3.
Al-Baqá: The Omega (that is, the Everlasting).
4.
Al-Mukhalafah lil-Itanadith: Different from all
creatures.
5.
Al-Qiyam bi-nafsihi: Self-sustaining.
6.
Al-Wahdaniyyah: Oneness.
7.
Al-Qudrah: Power.
8.
Al-Iradah: Will.
9.
Al-Ilm: Knowledge.
10.
Al-Hayah: Life.
11.
As-Saḿ: Hearing.
12.
As-Basar: Seeing.
13.
Al-Kalam: Speaking.
14.
Qadiran: Ever-powerful.
15.
Murîdan: Ever-willing.
16.
‘Aliman: Ever-knowing.
17.
Hayyan: Ever-living.
18.
Sami’an: Ever-hearing.
19.
Basiran: Ever-seeing.
20.
Mutakaliman: Ever-speaking.
Muslims should be willing to forgive whoever wrongs or
sin against them. This is because Allah do forgives
sinners. Adherents of Islam should stop retaliating
against whoever that might have wronged them.
Adherents of Islam should be encouraged by their
leaders to seek knowledge and stop leaving in ignorance.
Whoever seeks knowledge must be wise, while whoever
ignores it will be a fool forever. Leaders of Islam in the
Northern Nigeria should continue to enlighten their
followers from time to time without ceasing.
This researcher beliefs that if all Muslims resident in
the Northern part of Nigeria are enlightened, none of
them will be willing to surrender him or herself to foment
trouble, destroy human being and property of their fellow
being. Another important attribute that needs to be
taught to all Muslims is that Allah is life and He gives life
to human being on the earth. Therefore, whoever takes
anybody’s life takes the life of Allah away from such
being. Adherents of the religion of Islam in the Northern
Nigeria should discussion of people in the region.
Therefore, leaders should engage their followers in
discussions bordering on the promotion of peace, unity,
harmony and coexistence with all manner of people in the
Region. Adherents of Islam in the Northern Nigeria
should be taught that Allah is ever-hearing, so whatever
human beings say at all times and in all places are heard
by Him. To this end, Muslims must learn that Allah hears
the cry of all people that are being oppressed or suffered
in all parts of the country including the Northern part. For
this reason, adherents of Islam in the region need to
know that Allah is also Ever-seeing. He sees all good
and bad things done by anyone to his fellow being in the
Northern part of Nigeria. Adherents of Islam need to
listen to their leaders whenever they preach the Word of
Allah from the Qur’an and Hadith to them. Whenever they
speak, they should speak good words that would promote
peace, unity, harmony and coexistence with other faiths
adherents in the region.
Understanding the Religion of Neighbours
Osume (1988) writes on the word “understanding” and
good neighbourliness when he defined the two as
follows: “Understanding” is realizing other person’s
feelings or points of view (the power of clear thinking… or
the capacity for sympathizing, seeing from another’s point
74 J. Res. Peace Gend. Dev.
of view… but rarely in agreement…. He says
“understanding” means the ability to have a sympathetic
grasp of another person’s point of view without
necessarily agreeing with him. Osume says it is a task
which belongs to the field of epistemology and when
applied to religion, understanding demands strict
objectivity that entails an “attitude of self criticism, or even
skepticism about one’s own religious background and
….the ‘scientific’ tempers”.
Understanding is a function of the human minds because
the issue is not winning an argument; but grasping what
the other person is saying. It belongs the realm of
cognitive knowledge, not the avowal of faith, and as
Wambutda says, It is “absolutely possible for a person to
understand thoroughly a faith other than his own just as a
person may understand another language better than its
native speaker.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be
called the Sons of God (Matthew 5:9).
For the Christians, the life of peace is imperative and a
must to abide by. To be a peaceable person in the
Northern Nigeria, it is necessary for the Christians to be
identified as Sons of God, who promote peace in the
world. Furthermore, Apostle Paul advised Christians to
avoid doing evil to man.
“Do no man evil for evil. Provide things honestly
in the sight of all men. …live peaceably with all
men”.
The above injunction admonishes Christians especially
those who live in the Northern part of Nigeria that, as
much as possible, they should live in peace with all men.
Necessity of Religious Dialogue
Love
In Osume (1988), Hubbeling suggests that religious
dialogue is necessary among religionists in order to
promote understanding among them. When Northern
Nigerian religionists understand one another’s faith
without one’s own religious prejudices, it will contribute
immensely towards inter-religious understanding between
Muslims and Christians in the region. Inter-religious
dialogue would enable other faiths members to know the
basic tenets of other religions being practiced in the
Northern Nigeria. If religious dialogue is encouraged by
Muslim and Christian leaders in the region, it will bring a
lasting religious peace and harmony to the inhabitants. It
will also fulfill one of the aims of this paper, which is “live
and let live” in order to promote religious harmony in the
region.
Christians has law of love which they must obey in order
to live in peace. Jesus Christ summarises the law thus:
Inter-faith Communication
Besides, inter-religious dialogue makes for good interfaith communication because such instances of
interaction will be based on a sound knowledge of other
religions and not on caricatures (Osume, 1988).
Religionists in the Northern Nigeria can observe that such
approach will substantially reduce the use of abusive
words in describing the beliefs of other people; an
attitude which often incites the emotions of homoreligions (Osume, 1988). Northern religious leaders need
to enter into sincere and genuine dialogue with a view to
promoting peace in the region. Muslims and Christians
should be able to understand the tenets of the two faiths
in the region so as to encourage their followers to
embrace everlasting religious peace and harmony.
The Bible
In the beatitudes message of Jesus Christ to the
Christians, he declared:
“Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart, and with all thy mind and thy neighbour as
thyself”.
Jesus also illustrates loving of one’s neighbour in a
parable of the good Samaritan as he responded to the
question that was asked:
“Who is my neighbour?”
The implication of the parable of the good Samaritan
indicates that one should love an outcast or one’s enemy
as John 4:9 suggests. Jesus told his hearers or audience
to “go and do (love) likewise (Luke. 10:17).
The word of Jesus recommends that Christians should
be neighbourly to anyone he might consider to be his
enemy. Christians in the Northern Nigeria are advised to
love all men (and women or people) as themselves,
including Muslims and other non-Christians in the region.
Christianity has no room for any form of hostility towards
anyone.
The quoted scriptural directives given to both Northern
Christians and Muslims are that they should be
neighbourly to one another and that their lives should be
characterised by peaceful coexistence in the region.
Evidence abounds in many parts of Nigeria that such
cordial relationship exists among many adherents of
Christian and Islam families. For instance, the Yoruba
religion adherents live together in harmony in Nigeria.
the task of creating the awareness for good
neighbourliness among the masses in the Northern
Nigeria. It is an obligation or duty of the leaders of both
Islam and Christianity who should instruct their followers
on the basic tenets of their religions on tolerance,
Awoju 75
peaceful coexistence and harmony instead of
emphasising the emotional aspects of their religious
phenomena.
The Area of Agreement
Another way to encourage religious peace, harmony and
tolerance among the Northern Nigeria religionists,
especially Islam and Christianity, is for their leaders to
place more emphasis on areas of theological agreement;
rather than dwell on divisive religious issues which cause
religious unrest in the region.
while he or she is within the Mosque to worship Allah.
Besides, the House of Assembly is also a sacred House
where no harm or weapon must be seen in it.
Worshippers in the House of Assembly love must love
themselves and they should see themselves as one
another’s friends and friends of Allah and the mankind on
earth.
Qur’an 37:40 says, when you are in the House of
Assembly, you pray to Allah to save your soul”. We
quote:
“Save single-minded slaves of Allah” (Qur’an
37:40).
Common Themes
Few samples of common themes which leaders of Islam
and Christianity need to teach their adherents which can
promote unity, harmonious living and peaceful
coexistence of different groups of religion in the Northern
Nigeria are as follows:
Righteousness,
peace,
justice,
love,
kindness,
forgiveness, oneness, paradise, contentment, prayer,
House of prayer, God, Creator and creation. On the
house of assembly for men, the Qur’an Sura Two: AlBaqarah (Heife) verse 125 says,
“Remember we made the House a place of
assembly for me and a place of safety; and take
ye the station of Abraham, as a place of prayer;
and we covenanted with Abraham and Ishmael,
that they should sanctify my House for those who
compass it round, or use it as a treat, or bow, or
prostrate themselves (therein prayer).
The Benefits of Prayer
Abu Al-Aliyah said (that the house of assembly i.e.
Mosque) means in it they (worshippers) become secure
and safe from their enemies, and from carrying arms in it.
The significance of this verse is that Allah Almighty talks
about the honour of the sacred House, which was set by
Him as a place of assembly, for which the souls have a
great longing and to which their hearts are attached, and
to the extent that none should have a wish to leave it,
even if he visits it every year, in response to the
invocation of Abraham, Allah’s bosom friend, when he
said:
“So fill the hearts to some among men with love
towards them”.
The above quotation of the Holy Qur’an urges Muslims to
always go to the house of assembly to pray to Allah. The
House of Allah (Mosque) must be kept holy by the users.
Whoever goes to the House of Assembly to pray will be
saved from dangers. Such a person is also secured
The quotation indicates that whenever you are in the
Mosque, you direct your prayer to Allah to save you
because you are one of His slaves that needs salvation
as that time and nobody else. The verse further said,
“O our Lord, accept thou my prayer”.
“Almighty Allah describes it as being safe, and
whoever enters it would be safe, no matter how
grievous the crime or sin he committed might
be”.
This quotation implies that Allah do forgive a sinner his
sins that he or she has committed before entering the
House of prayer to pray to Him. As he or she prays to
Allah, the sin committed by him or her is forgiven.
Muslim brethren are friends: The Qur’an 3:103, 105,
says,
“And hold fast, all of you together, to the cable of
Allah, and do not separate yourselves (unite).
And remember Allah’s favour unto you: how ye
were enemies and He made friendship between
your hearts so that ye became as brothers by His
grace; and (how) ye were upon the brink of an
abyss of fire, and He did save you from it. Thus,
Allah maketh clear His revelations unto you, that
happy ye may be guided” (Qur’an 3:103).
The above quoted Chapter of the Holy Qur’an urges
Muslims to unite together and regard one another as
brethren in Islam. The verse also reminds Muslims that
belief in Allah, how he or she has escaped hell fire.
Therefore, he or she has been saved. He or she will
inherit the eternity.
Furthermore, Qur’an 3:105 urges Muslims to avoid
dispute hence they have known the truth. It says,
“And be ye not as those who separated and
disputed after the clear proofs had come unto
them. For such, there is an awful doom” (Qur’an
3:105).
76 J. Res. Peace Gend. Dev.
Goodness
Another theme that leaders of Islam must teach their
followers is goodness. If this is taught to them, there will
be pace in the Northern Nigeria. Qur’an 16:30 says,
“And it is said unto those who ward off (evil);
What hat your Lord revealed?
They say: Good. For those who do good in this
world, there is a good (reward) and the home of
the Hereafter (paradise) will be better. Pleasant
indeed will be the home of those who ward off
(evil).
In order to avoid the frequent crises in the Northern
Nigeria, leaders must teach the doctrine of doing good
things to their followers. The verse teaches that there is
a reward for people who do good things in this world.
The reward of doing good things to others is gaining the
eternal life or paradise after death. Therefore, whoever
does good things to other people gains the paradise.
Besides, Allah hates injustice and rebellion. Muslims
must practice justice and live in peace with other people
on this earth. It is believed that if leaders of Islamic
religion teach this theme to their followers in the Northern
Nigeria, the practice of injustice that is very common and
exercised by wicked people in the region will come to an
end. As a result of this, peace, justice, love and religious
harmony will be restored to the inhabitants of the region.
approach God in His throne”.
Wicked people who were involved in the past religious
disturbances in the Northern Nigeria would not have
allowed themselves to be used to kill and destroy other
people’s property in that region. Christian leaders need
to teach their followers this Psalm 24 in order to avoid
future crises that may occur in the region. If the Psalm is
impressed on the Christians in the region, it is my opinion
that there would be permanent solution to the restoration
of peace in the region and harmonious coexistence would
be regained.
We quote:
“Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?
And who shall stand in His holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false,
and does not swear deceitfully.
He will receive blessing from the LORD,
and vindication from the God of his salvation”
(Psalm 24:3-5).
The Loving God
Another theme that will aid the restoration of peace n the
Northern Nigeria is the love of God by the Christians. If
Christians have the love of God in their hearts, they
would not be involved in the past religious riots in the
region. In order to avoid crises in the region in the future,
Christian leaders need to teach Psalm 18 to their
followers.
The Christian Themes
We quote:
The creation of the earth – Psalm 24:1-6 teaches the
Christians that it is God who created everything on the
earth. Therefore, all things on the earth belong to Him
(God). If Christian leaders teach this theme to their
followers, Christians will not be involved in criminal
activities, such as the crises that led to the death of
several people in Kaduna, Yola, Jos and Bauchi, where
properties were destroyed.
Christians need not to
revenge when other religion adherents attack them. For
God is the owner of the souls and property that were lost.
Psalm 24:1-2 says,
The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness
thereof, the world and those who dwell therein,
for he has founded it upon the seas, and
established it upon the rivers”.
Jesus teaches the Christians the following: not to kill,
steal and bear false witness, to love their neighbours as
themselves (Matt. 19:19). While Psalm 24:3-4 says that
only people who has pure hearts can approach the
throne of God, wicked people would not be able to
“I LOVE thee, O LORD, my strength. The LORD
is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer,
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my
shield, and the horn of my salvation, my
stronghold.
I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be
praised, and I am saved from my enemies
(Psalm 18:1-4).
This psalm teaches the Christians that God would deliver
them from their enemies because He is their rock.
Whoever trusts in God receives salvation and protection
from all evils.
The Unity of God
“The Holy Bible says:
I am the Lord thy God: “You shall have no other
gods before me” (Exodus 20:3).
This quotation is unique in the sense that the Holy
Awoju 77
Qur’an also emphasise the oneness attribute of God to
the Muslims.
Both Christians and Muslims believe that God is one. If
the doctrine of oneness of God is taught to the religionists
in the Northern Nigeria, the wrong teaching that God is a
three persons which causes doctrinal dispute between
the Christians and the Muslims would be resolved. This
will also lay to rest the argument about the trinity that
often causes misunderstanding among the religion
adherents in the region.
The Good Work
The Holy Bible urges Christians to engage in doing good
works. We quote:
“Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works,
and glorify your Father which is in
heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
Leaders of Christian religion in the Northern Nigeria need
to teach their followers to do good works that would
glorify God who is in the heaven. This paper suggests
that if all adherents of Christianity in the region engage in
doing good works, people in the area will live in harmony
with one another. This is because there is no one who
does good works and at the same time involves himself
or herself in evil works. If every Christian does good
works, it is believed that peace will be restored in the
region.
The Holy Bible also encourages Christians to measure
their judgement to other people. It says,
“Judge not, that you be not judged,
For with the judgement you pronounce,
you will be judged, and the measure,
you give will be the measure you get”
(Matthew 7:1-2).
The Judgment Day
Jesus used the parable of the weeds to teach the
Christians that they are living with their enemies or
wicked people in this world. But God will separate the
wicked people from the righteous ones on the judgement
day. Therefore, the Northern Christians should endure
sufferings which they receive from the hands of their
enemies that kill and destroy their property. God will
judge those wicked people.
Leaders of Christian religion need to use Matthew
Chapter 13: 24-30 encourage their followers that are
being persecuted always by the other religion adherents
in the Northern Nigeria. Another chapter of the Holy
Bible teaches Christians that vengeance is God’s,
therefore, Christians should not retaliate evil for evil
which their enemies did to them.
It says:
“Vengeance is mine, says the Lord”.
RECOMMENDATIONS
This paper recommends that religionists in the Northern
Nigeria should apply the principles of their faith into their
way of life. It appeals to the leaders of both Christianity
and Islam religions to encourage their followers to live
together in peace, unity, love and harmony in the region.
It seemed that the leaders have forgotten or neglected
the teaching of their religious tenets to their followers in
the past, perhaps their mistakes encouraged religious
disturbances in the region. They are therefore advised to
learn from their past errors that contributed to religious
unrest in the region.
In addition, this paper encourages the leaders of both
Islam and Christianity to engage in the meaningful
religious dialogue which will promote unity, love,
forgiveness, harmony and peaceful coexistence in the
Northern Nigeria. If this could be done, the researcher
hopes that the lost peace in the region will be restored.
Religious leaders should teach the tenets of their faiths to
their followers in order to promote peace among them.
Every inhabitants of the Northern Nigeria must be
vigilant and be at alert to report any religious intolerance
or any subversion of peace or plan to cause religious
violence in their area to the law enforcement agents for
necessary action so as to forestall further crises.
Inter-faith communication should be regularly
practiced and encouraged among the adherents of Islam
and Christian religions in the Northern Nigeria. This is
because such instances of interaction will be based on
sound knowledge of Islam and Christian religions. If this
kind of understanding had existed, perhaps many of the
disturbances recorded in this paper might have been
averted.
The use of uncomplimentary and highly
inflammatory remarks made by adherents of both Islam
and Christianity preachers should be discouraged.
Reporters need to be cautioned about reporting issues
based on personal emotion. They must also avoid
inciting reports which could cause religious intolerance in
the region.
The leaders of both Islam and Christianity religions
must be sincere to enter into genuine religious dialogue
in the Northern Nigeria. if this could be done, we shall
achieve everlasting religious peace and harmony in the
region which is the aim of this paper.
Any political, traditional and spiritual leaders in the
Northern Nigeria whose domain inhabits religious
criminals should be duly sanctioned by the law of the
land.
Besides, capitalists and the three ties of
government in the region should empower the youths in
78 J. Res. Peace Gend. Dev.
the region to learn self-employment skills for sustainable
living. They should aid them financially to start their own
small scale business because “an idle mind is devil’s
workshop”. This paper assumes that if everybody in the
region is meaningfully engaged, there will be no room to
engage in religious riots.
Governments of the Northern Nigeria should hands off
from supporting any religious activities. Let religionists
manage their religious affairs without interference.
CONCLUSION
The religious violence in the Northern Nigeria began in
Gbobe in 1857. Samuel Ajayi Crowther was captured for
a ransom by the Chief of Gbobe village. Lives and
property were destroyed by the colonial soldiers before
they could rescued this preacher.
Fell who was trying to rescue Samuel Ajayi Crowther
was killed during the operation by the villagers of Gbobe.
After his rescue, Ajayi Crowther relocated to Lokoja. At
Lokoja, he established a mission station for the purpose
of spreading the gospel to other parts of the Northern
Nigeria. Ajayi later invited the Lagos mission to join him
in the spread of Christian religion towards other parts of
the Northern Nigeria.
Evangelists Thomas Bako, Burgin and Dr. Miller were
sent from Lagos to Lokoja mission station. They
continued the spread of Christian religion towards the
Northern Nigeria in 1902. Evangelist Bako was killed by
the Gierku people. The colonial government sent soldiers
who destroyed lives and property of the Muslims in that
area in favour of the Anglican evangelists.
The Northern Nigeria consists of multi-cultural and
multi-religious people. Religionists ignored these facts
but forced people to accept their faiths in the region. The
forceful manner in which religious adherents went about
their evangelism led to religious violence witnessed in the
region. The Sharia issue created religious tension in the
region also in 1970s. Equally, the Maitatsine sect’s
violence claimed a lot of lives and property and this
violence lasted for over a decade. Religious violence was
extended to higher institutions of learning in the region
where lives and property were destroyed in 1988 (Toyin,
1990).
.Religious violence nearly cost the then Military
Governor of Kaduna State his job in 1988 to the extent
that he threatened to resign his appointment in order to
save his life.
The Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) which
Nigerian military leaders forced Nigeria to join also aided
religious disturbance in the Northern Nigeria. Many lives
and properties were destroyed as a result of the
implementation of the Sharia law in the region (Adetiloye,
1986) .
This paper suggests that religious dialogue be
instituted amongst the leaders of the religions adherents
in the Northern Nigeria so as to promote peace,
understanding, unity and harmony in the region.
The paper further suggests that common religious
tenets be taught by the leaders to religious followers in
order to promote good relationship and understanding
among religionists in the Northern Nigeria.
Government of the Northern Nigeria should hands off
religious issues. Religionists should take care of matters
relating to their religious faiths. The researcher also
suggests that inter-faith communication should be
encouraged and practiced regularly by the adherents of
religions in the Northern Nigeria. This will encourage
peace coexistence and harmony in the Region.
Law enforcement agencies need to be more vigilant in
carrying out their duties in the Northern Nigeria. There is
need for them to employ professional tactics to combat
and foil any religious violence in the future and bring to
book all perpetrators of religious violence.
Finally, the paper suggests that Northern Nigerian
religionists should apply the principles of their faiths into
their way of life. It states that if they do this, it is possible
that the much eluded peace will be restored in the region.
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NOTES
Exodus 20:3
Awoju 79
Ibid
Ibid
Ibid, p. 3
Ibid, p. 4
Ibid, p. 191
Ibid, p. 192
Ibid, p. 192
Ibid, p. 191
Ibid, p. 193
Ibid, pp. 192 – 1993
Ibid, p. 193
Ibid, p. 193
Ibid, p. 302
Ibid, p. 302
Ibid, p. 302
Ibid, p. 303
Ibid, p. 303
Ibid, p. 303
Ibid, p. 303
Ibid, p. 303
Ibid, p. 304
Ibid, p. 305
Ibid, p. 305
Matthew 5
Matthew 5
Matthew 5:9
Matthew 5:16
Matthew 7:1-2
Matthew 13:24-30
Psalm 25:1-6
Psalm 24:1-2
Psalm 24:3-4, Matthew 19:19
Psalm 24:3-5
Psalm 18:1-4
Qur’an 2:125
Qur’an 37:40
Qur’an 3:103
Qur’an 3:105
Qur’an 16:30
How to cite this article: Awoju O.J. (2014). Enhancing lasting
religious peace and harmony in the Northern Nigeria. J. Res.
Peace Gend. Dev. 4(4):70-79