This is not just another piece about violence. This is a voice rising for the fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, cousins, and nephews who are being slaughtered in Northern Nigeria and for the nation that is watching without acting.
Every human being is born before religion, tribe, politics, or any other identity. We exist first as humans. Yet our nation has drifted into a place where the sanctity of human life is no longer protected. Where whole villages are razed, homes burnt, and people massacred, and the response is too slow, too political, too disconnected.
According to Amnesty International, at least 10,217 people were killed over two years in states like Benue, Zamfara, and Plateau, while hundreds of villages were attacked and destroyed. The Northern Elders Forum has labelled the wave of killings a “genocide,” citing government complicity, systemic failure, and a collapse of security.
These are not isolated incidents. They are not natural disasters. They are human tragedies born of neglect, impunity, and the abandonment of our most basic duty: protecting life.
Leaders at the federal and state levels should remember: your first vow is to the people. Not to parties, not to slogans, not to short‑term politics, but to human life. Northern leaders are now demanding a state of emergency, sackings of service chiefs, and a clear plan to end the bloodshed. The truth is, we can not wait any longer.
Declare the emergency. Deploy the forces. Fund rescue and rehabilitation. Prosecute the killers. Protect the innocent.
We must each ask ourselves: What kind of human being am I? Have I become numb to the pain of others? Have I accepted the killing as just another news headline?
When a society allows children to be butchered, parents to be kidnapped, and entire villages to be run out of existence, we have lost more than land or homes; we have lost our very humanity.
Schools must teach more than curriculum; they must teach conscience and compassion. Parents must raise children who respect life and not celebrate its cheap imitation. Religious bodies, churches and mosques must not become stages for wealth‑flaunting while ignoring dying congregations. If sermons ignore suffering, then faith has failed its purpose.
Because life matters. Not selectively. Not after politics or tribe. Every life matters. This is not about “them” or “us”. It is about all of us. As Nigerians, we rise or fall together.
And so I ask:
- Will you stand for humanity, before any label?
- Will you demand accountability from those in power?
- Will you refuse to look away until justice is done?
Because if not now, when? If not you, who? Let this be our moment of clarity.
If we are ever to be truly free and united, then the killing must stop, the innocent must be protected, and our leaders must rise or step aside.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of the organisation TheRadar.
Northern leaders condemn killings of travellers in Edo, demand action
Earlier, TheRadar reported that the tragic killings of Northern travellers in Uromi, Edo State, triggered a wave of outrage across northern Nigeria, with governors and community leaders calling for swift justice and heightened security in the wake of the violence.
Kano State governor, Abba Yusuf, expressed outrage over the incident and called for the public parade of the suspected killers. He also demanded compensation for the victims' families during a condolence visit by his Edo counterpart, Monday Okpebholo, in Kano.
