Truth Beyond Grammar: A Rejoinder to Prof. Adam Abba-Aji’s “Critical Appraisal of Mike Arnold’s Findings”

By Citizen (Prod) Bolaji O. Akinyemi

Prof. Adam Abba-Aji’s essay, “Critical Appraisal of Mike Arnold’s Findings on Alleged Christian Genocide in Nigeria,” is an elegantly written piece — but eloquence without honesty is polished deceit. His command of English is undeniable, but his argumentation reveals more about intent than insight. The article, beneath its scholarly façade, amounts to a systematic effort at disinformation, designed to blur moral clarity, relativize atrocity, and rescue state complicity under the guise of “complexity.”

There’s Nothing Complex About Murder

The professor labors to portray Nigeria’s ongoing tragedy as a “deeply complex” conflict of mutual victimhood. That is false. There is nothing complex about genocide — it is the deliberate annihilation of a group defined by faith, ethnicity, or identity. What we are witnessing across Plateau, Benue, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Zamfara and parts of Borno is not random banditry or balanced bloodshed; it is a systematic campaign of extermination.

Mike Arnold’s fieldwork had a clearly defined scope: to document Christian persecution and massacre in specific regions. The data frame was neither arbitrary nor exclusionary — it was purposeful and precise. To demand equal attention to other regions or religions is to misunderstand the principle of sampling. When a doctor investigates malaria, he need not test for tuberculosis.

The Professor’s Own Bias

Ironically, the author accuses Arnold of faith-based bias while quietly speaking from one. His rhetorical question — “Were the interlocutors predominantly Christian, Muslim, or of mixed backgrounds?” — betrays his own lens. What, then, is the religion of Prof. Abba-Aji?

It is neither wrong nor sinful to write from one’s faith context. But it becomes dishonest when faith is weaponized to deflect justice or dilute evidence. In the end, the professor’s critique reflects precisely what he condemns: selective skepticism.

The Supremacy of Faith Over the Constitution

In one unguarded paragraph, Prof. Abba-Aji unintentionally exposes Nigeria’s greatest structural defect — the supremacy of religion over the rule of law. He implies that national behavior is still determined more by scripture than by constitution. That truth, though unintended, is the confession Nigeria needs to hear.

Our laws are weak because our moral compass is outsourced. Citizens swear allegiance to God but betray His justice in governance. Crimes against humanity — genocide, terrorism, ethnic cleansing — thrive because our legal system lacks teeth and our courts lack courage to convict those shielded by ethnic or religious identity.

 On Arnold’s “Shift” About Reno Omokri

Prof. Abba-Aji’s attempt to question Arnold’s credibility by citing his changed opinion of Reno Omokri is intellectually unserious. Humans grow, evidence evolves, and opinions change. Even Reno himself has changed his tune on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Shall we now label him inconsistent or merely responsive to new realities?

The Challenge of Integrity

If Prof. Abba-Aji truly seeks balance, let him replicate Mike Arnold’s methodology — not in theory, but in practice. Let him undertake a similar field mission, engage victims, traverse the same villages, record the testimonies, and publish his findings for juxtaposition. Only then can we assess who stands on truth and who hides behind grammar.

The problem with Nigerian scholarship is not lack of intelligence, but lack of integrity. Too many intellectuals have become defense attorneys for dysfunction, refining rhetoric to disguise reality.

 Truth Must Be National, Not Neutral

Mike Arnold may be a foreigner, but his conscience is local. He came, he saw, he spoke. The least we can do is to face the truth his mirror reflects. Whether Christian or Muslim, Hausa or Tiv, Yoruba or Igbo — the blood of Nigerians is crying for justice. And justice cannot be served by grammar; it must be served by courage.

Conclusion

Nigeria’s problem is not the complexity of conflict, but the simplicity of evil — and our unwillingness to name it. Until we admit that selective silence and sectarian sentiment have weakened our constitution, the grave will continue to swallow our future.

Prof. Abba-Aji’s article may read well in a classroom, but in the field of the dead, grammar does not resurrect victims. Truth does.

Citizen Bolaji O. Akinyemi is an Apostle and a Nation Builder, Convener Apostolic Round Table, Chairman, Board of Trustee of Project Victory Call Initiative, AKA PVC Naija.