Arewa Peace Foundation Condemns Global Flow of Arms to Extremist Networks

By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna 

The Arewa Peace Foundation has called on the international community, particularly the Government of the United States and its allies, to adopt a fair and evidence-based approach when addressing the complex realities of religious violence and insecurity in Nigeria.

In a press statement signed and made available to newsmen by Bashar Maianguwa, Founder and President of the Arewa Peace Foundation, the organization expressed concern over the unprecedented humanitarian and security crises in Nigeria, which have claimed tens of thousands of lives across faiths and regions.

The statement noted that public debate, both within and outside Nigeria, often misrepresents the tragedy through a narrow, one-sided narrative that unfairly portrays Muslims as aggressors and Christians as the only victims.

According to the statement, independent research and on-ground data consistently reveal that a significant majority of victims of Boko Haram, IS-affiliated groups, and criminal bandits in northern Nigeria are themselves Muslims.

The statement cited examples of prominent Muslim clerics who have been assassinated for preaching against extremist ideologies, including Sheikh Ja’afar Mahmud Adam, Sheikh Muhammad Auwal Albani Zaria, and Sheikh Umaru Hamza Dan-Maishiyya, among others.

The Arewa Peace Foundation urged the U.S. Department of State, European Union, and United Nations agencies to apply the same standards of human-rights advocacy to all victims of violence, regardless of faith.

The organization also noted the inconsistency in some Western policy circles that criticize domestic security operations in Nigeria while providing limited accountability for the global flow of arms and funding that sustain extremist networks.

The statement emphasized that Nigeria remains a sovereign democracy and welcomes collaboration based on respect, mutual interest, and transparency, but rejects any external attempt to politicize religion or undermine constitutional institutions.

The Arewa Peace Foundation called on faith-based organizations, including the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), to reject inflammatory rhetoric and work jointly toward credible peace initiatives.

The organization stressed that violence in Nigeria is not a contest of faiths, but a collective tragedy demanding a unified and rational response.