Senator Ali Ndume has cautioned against portraying Boko Haram as an anti-Christian sect, warning that such profiling could undermine counterterrorism efforts and dampen soldiers’ morale.
Senator Ali Ndume has cautioned against framing Boko Haram as a terrorist group targeting Christians, warning that such profiling could weaken counterinsurgency operations. The Borno South senator, in a statement on Wednesday, said, “It is unethical and unconscionable for any media outlet to drive the narrative that Christians are the targets of these attacks by the terror group in Borno, or anywhere in the North-eastern part of Nigeria.”
The lawmaker, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), maintained that the insurgents operate without religious or ethnic bias. “The forces behind these mindless killings are blind to faith and tribe. We should avoid this dangerous profiling, which can distract us. It has the tendency of doing us more harm. It can even inflame negative passion in our soldiers, dampen the morale of men who toil day and night,” he said.
Ndume commended the military for its sacrifices and urged the federal government to provide adequate funding to sustain the fight against insurgency.