Selective Outrage and The Tragedy Of Silence

The brutal murder of 16 Hausa hunters in Edo State is yet another tragic chapter in Nigeria’s long history of senseless violence. Prominent Nigerians, from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and journalist Farooq Kperogi, have all condemned the killings in strong terms. Atiku even called for a thorough and transparent investigation. Jaafar Jaafar, a London-based journalist, urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to not only condemn the act but also outline a clear plan to stop such killings.

Without a doubt, the mob action that led to the death of these hunters is barbaric and unacceptable. But there’s an uncomfortable question lurking beneath the outrage: Where was this energy when similar or even worse killings happened elsewhere?

Take Atiku Abubakar, for instance. His strong condemnation of the Edo killings is in stark contrast to his deafening silence over the brutal murder of Deborah Samuel, a Christian student who was lynched in Sokoto on May 12, 2022, for alleged blasphemy. Not only did he refuse to condemn her killers, but he also distanced himself from a tweet that initially criticized the act—clearly bowing to political and religious pressure.

Likewise, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and many of those now speaking out remained silent when communities in Kaduna, Benue, and Plateau suffered relentless attacks. Every week, villages in Southern Kaduna, Benue, and Plateau State are raided, leaving behind trails of blood and ashes. Between January 2023 and February 2024, over 2,000 people—mostly Tiv, Berom, Kataf, Surubu, and Idoma Christians—were slaughtered in what can only be described as systematic ethnic cleansing.

Where was the national outcry when over 150 Christians were massacred in Mangu, Plateau State, between December 24 and 26, 2023, by suspected Fulani militias? Where were these voices when Zangon Kataf in Southern Kaduna was drenched in blood time and time again—most recently in July 2023, when 33 people were killed in one night?

The reality is painfully clear: Some lives matter more than others in Nigeria’s political and media landscape.

There’s an eerie silence when Christian communities are attacked in the Middle Belt. But when the victims are Hausa or Fulani, the same leaders who ignored previous atrocities suddenly find their voices. Why? Is it because the killers in the Middle Belt are predominantly Fulani militias, while the Edo killings were an isolated mob action?

Violence is violence, and injustice anywhere should be condemned with the same moral clarity. Selective outrage only fuels further division, and Nigeria cannot afford that. If leaders like Atiku, Kwankwaso, and Tinubu truly care about justice, they must speak up for all victims—not just those that serve their political interests.

Silence in the face of evil is complicity.