Nigerians consider victims’ religion, tribe before showing sympathy - Shehu Sani

Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has faulted what he described as unequal expressions of sympathy among Nigerians, arguing that religious and ethnic affiliations often influence public reactions to killings.

Sani raised the concern in a post on his official X account, where he said his observations over the past 15 years had shown that some Nigerians were reluctant to condemn attacks when the victims came from religious or ethnic groups different from theirs.

He urged Nigerians to examine reactions to reports of attacks on social media over the past decade, arguing that expressions of outrage and compassion were frequently shaped by the identities of those affected.

“In the last fifteen years, I have studied the way most people react to banditry and terrorist attacks in our communities,” he wrote.

“In other words, the degree of our outrage or empathy is determined by whether the victims are from our religious faith, sect or ethnicity,” he said.

The former lawmaker further expressed concern that some people first establish the religious or ethnic background of victims before deciding whether to sympathise with them.

“Most people wait to know the faith or tribe of the victim before deciding whether he or she deserves their compassion or concern,” he added.

Sani described the attitude as a disturbing reflection of the country’s collective sense of humanity, urging Nigerians to look beyond religious and ethnic differences when responding to violence.

His remarks come against the backdrop of continuing security challenges in several parts of the country, where banditry, terrorism and communal violence have resulted in deaths and displacement.

He maintained that victims of violence deserve equal sympathy and condemnation of the attacks against them, irrespective of their religious beliefs or ethnic identities.