Methodological Critique: Selection Bias in Fieldwork
In a moving and grace filled article, Professor Adam Abba-Aji from Borno State, Nigeria/Edmonton AB Canada, acknowledges the efforts American Mike Arnold is making to highlight the suffering of Christians in Nigeria. However, Professor Abba-Aji raises concerns about the methodology biases :
"The selective focus on Christian-majority areas therefore introduces a significant selection bias that undermines the generalizability of his conclusion of a singular religion-based genocide."
This is not abstract conjecture on the Professors part, rather, he writes from painful family experience. Mike Arnold visited Christians in Borno State affected by Boko Haram but neglected to hear from Muslims who suffered also, including both Professor Abba-Aji's mothers village and also his fathers village, once-thriving Muslim communities where Boko Haram destroyed everything. Mosques were razed, civilians were slaughtered in their homes or inside mosques, and entire villages were obliterated. Many survivors remain internally displaced or exiled in neighboring Cameroon. Professor Abba-Aji writes:
"the conclusion of an unequivocal “Christian genocide” cannot stand as empirically conclusive. It should instead be seen as a perspective rooted in partial evidence that merits further investigation by independent and diverse teams with balanced representation."
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