MUSLIMS OF THE NORTHERN NIGERIA ARE THE MAJOR VICTIMS OF TERRORISM.

The recent post by the U.S. President Donald J. Trump, accusing the Nigerian Government of allowing the killing of Christians and threatening U.S. military action, has once again stirred a painful narrative — one that dangerously distorts the reality of Nigeria’s complex insecurity.

While we respect the concern for the sanctity of human life and freedom of worship, we, the Muslims of Northern Nigeria, must speak clearly:

We are not the authors of this violence — we are its primary victims.

For over a decade, the North has been bleeding.

From Borno to Zamfara, Sokoto to Katsina, Yobe to Niger, Muslim communities have endured unspeakable horrors at the hands of the same terrorists falsely claiming to represent Islam. Entire villages have been destroyed, mosques bombed, and scholars murdered. Millions of innocent Muslims live as refugees in their own country — in overcrowded, forgotten IDP camps where survival itself is a daily struggle.

This is the truth that global observers often overlook:

The overwhelming majority of those killed, displaced, or impoverished by terrorism in Nigeria are Muslims. The extremists have attacked us more than anyone else. They have turned our farms into battlefields and our homes into graveyards. To label this tragedy as “Muslims killing Christians” is not only inaccurate — it is deeply unfair to the thousands of Muslim families who have lost everything.

We acknowledge that many Christian communities have also suffered greatly, and their pain is real and deserves empathy. But it is misleading — and dangerous — to interpret Nigeria’s insecurity through a purely religious lens. Terrorism here is a product of poverty, corruption, political neglect, and criminal opportunism, not a war of faith.

It would therefore be unjust, and even reckless, for any foreign power to threaten military action or sanctions based on such a narrow narrative. What Nigeria needs is understanding, cooperation, and balanced engagement — not judgment from afar.

As Northern Nigerian Muslims, we stand firmly for peace, justice, and unity.

We condemn every form of extremism, whether it targets Christians, Muslims, or anyone else. We believe the blood of every Nigerian is sacred — whether shed in a mosque in Borno or a church in Benue. Our faith teaches us that to kill one innocent soul is to kill all of humanity.

We urge global leaders, especially influential voices like President Trump, to seek accurate information before making sweeping declarations. Words have power — and in a fragile society like ours, careless words can inflame divisions that ordinary Nigerians have worked hard to heal.

To our Christian brothers and sisters, we say: we share your pain. We too have buried our dead, we too live with fear, and we too pray for peace. Let us reject attempts to divide us along religious lines.

Terrorism is not a Muslim problem. It is a human problem, and together, we must confront it with truth and compassion.

In the end, justice cannot be built on misinformation — and peace cannot grow from prejudice.

We call on the world to see Northern Nigerian Muslims not as villains, but as fellow victims seeking the same thing every human being deserves: safety, dignity, and peace.

Ahmad M. Salihu