By ODIMEGWU ONWUMERE

Former Senator Shehu Sani recently issued a public warning to Plateau-based Christian cleric Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo over remarks the pastor made during a’mass burial for victims of recent killings in Plateau State.

In a message posted on his X account on March 5, the former Kaduna Central lawmaker criticized the cleric’s statements, saying they were derogatory toward Islam and capable of inflaming religious tension in an already fragile environment.

The controversy began after a video circulated online showing Reverend Dachomo presiding over the burial of people reportedly killed in attacks attributed to suspected Fulani militants. Visibly distressed by the scale of the tragedy, the pastor spoke emotionally about the repeated violence against churches and Christian communities. In his grief, he condemned the attackers and referred to them in harsh religious terms while describing how they allegedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the assaults.

Senator Sani reacted by urging the pastor to refrain from comments that could be interpreted as insulting to Islam or to Allah. He argued that such statements risk deepening division in a country where religious tensions can quickly escalate. According to him, religious leaders should promote their faith in ways that respect the beliefs of others and help preserve national peace.

However, the broader context of the incident raises an important question about priorities in moments of national tragedy. Reverend Dachomo’s remarks were made while burying members of his community who had just lost their lives in violent attacks. His words reflected pain, anger, and grief rather than a calculated attempt to provoke religious hostility.

In situations like this, compassion and empathy should come first. A pastor burying victims of violence is speaking from the depths of loss, not from a place of political calculation. Rather than focusing primarily on condemning the language of a grieving cleric, many observers argue that national leaders should place greater emphasis on addressing the root causes of the violence itself.

If armed groups claiming religious identity are indeed responsible for attacks on innocent civilians, influential voices within their broader communities must speak firmly against such actions. Leaders like Shehu Sani, who command respect across Northern Nigeria, are in a strong position to call on all Fulani leaders and communities to reject violence and ensure that criminals do not hide behind religion or ethnicity.

Nigeria’s stability depends not only on guarding religious sensitivities but also on confronting the violence that repeatedly devastates rural communities.

Condemning grief-driven words may address rhetoric, but confronting the killings addresses the real crisis. Calling perpetrators to order and protecting vulnerable communities would send a stronger message that the sanctity of human life stands above all religious or political differences.

•Odimegwu Onwumere is Chairman, Advocacy Network On Religious And Cultural Coexistence (ANORACC).

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