Religious Bigotry A Challenge to Security and Development in the Contemporary Nigeria

Abstract

A nation that witnesses security and development is expected to relatively put every facet of the state in check. Religion remains an integral part of the society. Nigeria as a country has three major religions namely: Christianity, Islam and African Traditional Religion. As it is, religion has a strong grip on its members. A pluralistic country like Nigeria with Muslim majority North and Christian majority South has to be careful on how religious issues are handled. Religious bigotry has become a clog on the wheels of security and development of Nigeria. The present research holds that a great number of religious violence ranging from clashes, bombing and so on, has been witnessed in Nigeria in the fourth republic. This is orchestrated by the antagonistic nature of Christians and Muslims especially in the North, the menace of the Islamic Fulani Herdsmen, lopsided appointments, and inability of the government of the day to arrest and prosecute perpetrators of these crimes instead they are termed repentant, all have religious undertone and amount to injustice. These are challenges to security and development. As a result, lives and properties are consistently lost, investors scared, food security farfetched and the like. To arrest the increasing challenges, the leaders should disabuse their minds from priding one religion above others; the Nigerian constitution that allows freedom of worship should be upheld; religious value reorientation and proper religious socialisation should be promoted while the perpetrators of violence should be punished according to the laws of the land as solutions to the problem.