Religious Difference in Nigeria-Reappearing Shadows of Colonial “Us” Versus “Them”: A Reflection on Selected Novels

This study examines how religious plurality, ordinarily a supposed asset, has produced entrenched “Us versus Them” divisions that manifest as dehumanization and stereotyping across religious communities. Drawing on Postcolonial theory, the research uses a qualitative, text-analytic approach to identify portrayals of religious alterity in two contemporary Nigerian novels: Othuke Ominiabohs’ A Conspiracy of Raven, and Sule Egya’s Sterile Sky. The analysis reveals cases of “Us verus Them” relations among religious groups that enthrones hatred and violence in the postcolony. The study argues that harmonized practice of religious pluralism can be reconceived as transformative social practice rather than mere demographic fact. This awareness, if extended to real world situations, would ensure better understanding and protection of every individual’s religious right and dignity.