By ibrahima yakubu
Press Release by the Interfaith Mediation Centre on the Planned National Protest, 12th September 2024
At this critical juncture in Nigeria’s history, we find it necessary to address the ongoing national concerns regarding hunger, the rising cost of living, and insecurity following recent measures by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. While these actions aim to stabilize the economy, they have caused widespread hardship.
As religious leaders and conflict mediators, we have been closely monitoring the growing discontent across the country. Through our analysis, we believe that if grievances are not addressed swiftly, they may escalate into violence, potentially destabilizing Nigeria—and, by extension, Africa.
Our Position:
Crowd Control: Managing protests is challenging, and recent events have shown that peaceful demonstrations can be hijacked by malicious actors, leading to violence, looting, and destruction of property.
Risk of Escalation: Protests, if unorganized, can easily spiral into religious or ethnic conflict. Given Nigeria’s religious sensitivities, we fear this could lead to serious unrest.
Religious Perspective: The scriptures of both Christianity and Islam strongly discourage violence and promote peace. In Psalm 11:5, the Bible says God abhors those who incite violence, and the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, “A Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hands the people are safe” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).
In light of these concerns, we urge Nigerians to refrain from protests at this time. Dialogue and prayer, we believe, remain the most viable paths to resolving our national challenges.
We call on the government, at all levels, to engage with citizens through dialogue. We encourage town hall meetings and community engagements between political leaders and their constituencies to develop sustainable solutions.
Lastly, we urge all Nigerians to pray for peace and unity, as we prepare to mark the 2024 United Nations World Peace Day.
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
