The People We Are Taught to Fear May Not Be the Ones Standing Between Us and Freedom

By

Abu-Ubaida SANI, Ph.D.
Department of Languages and Cultures,
Federal University Gusau, Zamfara, Nigeria
Email: abuubaidasani5@gmail.com | abu-ubaidallah@fugusau.edu.ng
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6447-4334 | WhatsApp: +2348133529736

Freedom is not only about the absence of colonial rule. It is also about the ability of citizens to live with dignity, express their views, participate meaningfully in public life, and hold those in authority accountable.

Nigeria has been independent since 1960, yet the question of how much freedom ordinary citizens actually experience remains worth asking. Freedom House’s 2026 assessment describes Nigeria as “Partly Free”, pointing to continuing challenges involving political rights, civil liberties, corruption, insecurity and freedom of expression.

Who Are We Taught to Fear?

One of the most powerful tools in any society is the ability to convince people that another group is their greatest enemy.

Religion, ethnicity, region and political identity can become convenient instruments for creating suspicion between citizens. When people are constantly encouraged to see one another as threats, they may spend more time fighting among themselves than questioning the structures that affect their lives.

This does not mean that every political leader, religious leader or community leader is deliberately creating division. Nor does it mean that differences between Nigerians are imaginary. Rather, the important question is whether those differences are being exploited for political or personal advantage.

Division Can Distract From Accountability

A society divided against itself can find it difficult to demand accountability.

People may passionately defend politicians because of ethnic or religious identity while overlooking questions about public resources, security, education, employment, justice and basic services.

Meanwhile, corruption remains a significant concern. Transparency International's 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index gives Nigeria a score of 26 out of 100, placing it 142nd among 182 countries.

The lesson is not that every problem comes from one group. The deeper lesson is that citizens should learn to distinguish between identity and accountability.

A person can share our religion and still make decisions that deserve scrutiny. A person can come from another ethnic group and still be our fellow citizen, neighbour and partner in building a better society.

Our Greatest Strength Is Conscious Citizenship

The solution is not to stop believing in our religions, cultures or communities. These identities can be sources of meaning, solidarity and social strength.

The challenge is to refuse to allow identity to replace reason.

We should be able to ask difficult questions without turning every question into an ethnic or religious confrontation. We should be able to disagree politically without becoming enemies. And we should be able to demand accountability from people we support just as strongly as we demand it from those we oppose.

Freedom becomes meaningful when citizens are able to think beyond the divisions imposed upon them.

Rethinking Who Stands Between Us and Freedom

Sometimes, the person we are taught to fear is simply another citizen struggling with the same problems.

The real question is therefore not always:

“Which group should I fear?”

It may be:

“Who benefits when ordinary people are kept busy fearing one another?”

That question requires courage, independent thinking and responsible citizenship.

Nigeria's independence should therefore be more than a historical celebration. It should also be an opportunity to reflect on what freedom means in everyday life—and whether our differences are helping us build the country we want or preventing us from demanding it.

Perhaps true freedom begins when we stop allowing others to decide whom we must hate.

The people we are taught to fear may not be the ones standing between us and freedom.

— Sani, A-U. (2026)