Nigeria, Sept. 22 -- September 21 was the International Day of Peace. Across the world, governments, institutions and citizens were being reminded of an idea that ought to be ordinary: that people should be able to live without fear, with their dignity protected and their future not constantly threatened by violence. The United Nations chose "Invest in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day" as this year's theme, defining peace not simply as the absence of war but as the everyday experience of safety, dignity, opportunity and cooperation.

Nigeria marked the day too, but it is difficult to look at the country's security situation and pretend that the occasion does not come with an uncomfortable question: how much peace can a country ...