MURIC TO ALAAFIN: NO LAW GIVES YOU EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO APPOINT CHIEF IMAM

 

17^th September, 2025

PRESS RELEASE:

MURIC TO ALAAFIN: NO LAW GIVES YOU EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO APPOINT CHIEF IMAM

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade claimed yesterday that he had the exclusive right to appoint the Chief Imam of Oyo town. But an Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has rejected the claim. The group argued that what the Alaafin called his exclusive right is a baseless priviledge now being abused by traditional rulers in Yorubaland.

MURIC’s reaction was contained in a press release issued on Wednesday, 17^th September, 2025 by its executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

The statement reads:

“The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade claimed yesterday that he had the exclusive right to appoint the Chief Imam of Oyo town. The claim was contained in  a statement issued by the Alaafin’s Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, on Monday, September 15, 2025 (https://dailyobserver.ng/alaafin-declares-exclusive-right-to-appoint-oyo-chief-imam/).

 

“We reject this statement. It is false, baseless and without any legal backing. What the Alaafin called his exclusive right is a baseless priviledge now being abused by traditional rulers in Yorubaland. Alaafin is being economical with the truth.

“We challenge the Alaafin to produce the legal instrument that empowers him to appoint the Chief Imam for Oyo Muslim Community.

“Alaafin’s claim is illogical, irrational and laughable. If he has the power to appoint the Chief Imam, does he also have the power to appoint the bishop of Oyo? Now, if he has no power to appoint the bishop, he cannot claim the power to appoint the Chief Imam.

“If he is relying on tradition, there is a difference between tradition and what the law says. By the way, what kind of tradition enslaves Muslims but gives Christians freedom. We reject a tradition that puts Muslims in chains. Muslims are not slaves. The king should respect himself and know his limits so that he can be adequately respected. Nigeria is not a monarchy. It is a democracy.

“Priviledges enjoyed by past kings do not constitute any right by any stretch of imagination. The tradition in the past was to trek to Makkah on foot. That has been abandoned. The incumbent Alaafin should stop clinging to a comatose practice.

 

“Alaafin’s pedigree has already deprived him of any right to determine the destiny of Muslims of Oyo town. As a pastor he has no moral right to dictate who should lead the Muslims in Oyo. He himself should know this. We demand that he respects the sensibilities of his Muslim subjects. We are waiting to see how far he is committed to the pursuit of peace, justice and fairness in his domain.

“We reject an entitlement mentality based on sheer feudalistic sentiment, superiority complex and undue class distinction. Muslims are born free and they have the right to appoint their own leaders without external interference. We reject any system that seeks to enslave Muslims by imposing an Imam on them. It is totally wrong.

“The Alaafin reportedly said, ‘It should be noted that only His Imperial Majesty has the exclusive preserve to appoint a new Chief Imam for the town’. This statement smirks of over-bloated colonial mentality and empty feudal overlordship. It is provocative, preposterous and detestable. Under the law, it is ultra vires, null and void.

 

“Our position is that the Alaafin can bless anyone picked by the Muslim Community of Oyo town as the Chief Imam. This is in recognition of the fact that he is the king of the town. We expect the Muslim Community of Oyo town to consult the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN), the umbrella organization of all Islamic associations of Yorubaland.

 

“The Muslim Community should present only one candidate, not two, not three, to the Alaafin and back its choice with an official letter in which the new Imam’s name is conspicuously written to avoid any chance of manipulation. The Alaafin’s blessing of their choice is not mandatory. It is a euphemism for passing information.

 

“To the Alaafin, Kabiyesi, Your Imperial Majesty, you are the king over the whole of Oyo. You are king over the Muslims, the Christians and the traditionalists. Each group chooses its own leader. No law gives you exclusive right to choose the Chief Imam. Otherwise, show us evidence that you picked the bishop. If you cannot pick the bishop, how can you pick the Imam? Stop impugning our dignity. Respect begets respect.”

 

#NoToAlaafinChiefImam

#ChiefImamOnlyByMuslims

#OyoMuslimsWakeUp

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola, 

Founder/Executive Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).

 

ABDUCTION OF 40 MUSLIMS, 1 BISHOP: KUKAH SHOULD APOLOGISE FOR FALSE ALLEGATION OF ATTACKS ON CHRISTIANS ALONE – MURIC

16^th September, 2025

PRESS RELEASE:

ABDUCTION OF 40 MUSLIMS, 1 BISHOP: KUKAH SHOULD APOLOGISE FOR FALSE ALLEGATION OF ATTACKS ON CHRISTIANS ALONE – MURIC

40 Muslims were abducted in a Zamfara mosque yesterday, Monday, 15th September, 2025 while a bishop was also kidnapped in Kogi State on the same day. 

Meanwhile the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has described those who ascribe killings and abductions to Islamisation as well as those who claim that only Christians are being killed by terrorists and bandits as confusionists, anarchists and alarmists.

The Islamic human rights organization declared that crime has no religious or ethnic colour. The group therefore demanded apology from Bishop Mathew Hasan Kuka over his frequent allegations of Islamisation and killing of Christians alone.  

This was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday, 16th September, 2025 by the Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola. 

He said:

"Gunmen abducted 40 Muslims in a mosque at Gidan Turbe village in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State yesterday, 15th September, 2025 while a bishop of St Paul’s Catholic Church, Rev Father Wilfred Ezemba, was also kidnapped in Kogi State (https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/09/bandits-abduct-40-in-zamfara-mosque-as-peace-deal-collapses/). 

"We are of the opinion that these two sad incidents which happened on the same day underline the fact that terrorists and bandits target no particular religion or ethnic group. All they are interested in is to seize human beings for pecuniary gain. 

"It will be recalled that terrorists killed 50 Muslims in Malunfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State on 5^th August, 2025 (https://www.muricnigeria.com/katsina-50-muslim-lives-matter-too-muric/).

“60 Muslims were also mowed down in May 2020 in Sabon Birni, Sokoto State (http://orientalnewsng.com/how-60-people-were-killed-in-sabon-birni-sokoto-by-bandits/). An October 18, 2021 report confirmed the killing of more than 60 Muslims in a marketplace in Sokoto (https://humanglemedia.com/terrorists-kill-over-60-people-in-sokoto-market-attack/).

"The massacres of Muslims in large numbers further amplify the unnecessary dissipation of energy, sheer wild goose chases, superfluous media hype and spiritual masturbation in addressing the US Congress by people like Bishop Mathew Hasan Kuka to lay false and misleading allegations of the killing of Christians in Nigeria as if Muslims are also not victims of killings and abductions (https://punchng.com/you-lied-presidency-slams-kukah-over-virtual-address-to-us-congress/). 

"Entrepreneurs of falsehood and merchants of fake news are the main enemies of this country. They are enemies of peace and progress. Nigerians should know these agent provocateur and advocatus diaboli. Crime has no religious or ethnic colour. Those who ascribe terror attacks to Islamisation and allege that only Christians are being killed possess the verb ‘to lie’ and the noun ‘liars’.

"The wind has blown and we have seen the ruff of the hen. What happened yesterday in Zamfara where 40 Muslims were abducted and in Kogi State where a bishop was kidnapped have further opened the eyes of Nigerians. If lies start running for decades, truth will catch up in a single day. Nigerians have seen that gunmen, armed bandits and terrorists kill and abduct both Muslims and Christians. No adherents of any faith is spared by these men of evil. We are all victims.

"We therefore call on Bishop Mathew Hasan Kuka and his co-travellers to stop this spiritual masturbation and acrobatic religiousity. In particular, Kukah should tender unreserved apology to Nigerians for misleading them for so long." 

#WeAreAllVictims

#StopTheLies

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola, 

Founder/Executive Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).

 

TIME FOR FG TO REDISTRIBUTE WEALTH – MURIC

 

15^th September, 2025

PRESS RELEASE:

TIME FOR FG TO REDISTRIBUTE WEALTH – MURIC

An appeal has gone to the Federal Government (FG) to redistribute wealth throughout the country in order to eliminate the current grinding poverty. The appeal was made by a faith-based human rights advocacy group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).

In a statement issued by the Executive Director of the group on Monday, 15^th September, 2025, MURIC lamented the growing trend of extensive poverty among the working class caused by alarmingly poor salaries amid fat and disproportionate remuneration for the political class.

The group said further:

“There is growing restlessness among the Nigerian working class. University lecturers under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have threatened to go on strike. In the same vein, resident doctors have given government notice of a strike. Similarly, hospital nurses have just resumed from a warning strike today, Monday, 15^th September, 2025.

“In the face of this gloomy socio-economic scenario, the Federal Government (FG) is reportedly considering increment in the earnings of politicians (https://lagostelevision.com/2025/08/19/fg-considers-pay-raise-for-political-office-holders/).

“Apart from an army of unemployed graduates, the condition of the working class in Nigeria is pitiable. The take-home-pay of the proletariat cannot take him home. Market prices which hit the roof more than a year ago are now up in the skies, aiming at Jupiter. Inflation rate was 21.88 as at July 2025.  

“There is widespread hunger and starvation in the country. The North is bleeding. The South is barely surviving. Strangulated and suffocated, the jamaahiir at the bottom of the pyramid of poverty can hardly breathe.

“While we appreciate the ongoing economic reform launched by the FG, we call for immediate reordering of the sharing pattern of our common patrimony. Only an equitable and proportionate readjustment of the salaries of workers and politicians can stem the current tide and bring about socio-economic justice.

“We also appeal to FG to reconsider its attempt to increase the wages of politicians (https://lagostelevision.com/2025/08/19/fg-considers-pay-raise-for-political-office-holders/) when, already, a senator allegedly earns a whooping N21 million monthly compared to a professor’s meager monthly salary of N633,333 (https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/08/looming-crisis-in-universities-professors-earn-n633333-senators-n21-million/).

“This sad development has caused brain drain in the universities. Exempli gratia, 239 first class lecturers left the University of Lagos (Unilag) in the last seven years over poor pay (https://thelagosianmagazine.com.ng/239-first-class-lecturers-quit-unilag-over-poor-pay-ex-vc/).

“Medical doctors and nurses are leaving the country in droves. At least 50 doctors leave Nigeria weekly (https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/10/brain-drain-50-doctors-leave-nigeria-every-week-nma/). More than 15,000 nurses left Nigeria in 2024 alone (https://punchng.com/japa-association-raises-the-alarm-as-over-15000-nurses-leave-nigeria-in-2024/).

“MURIC laments the growing trend of extensive poverty and abject penury among the working class caused by alarmingly poor salaries amid fat, humongous and disproportionate remuneration for the political class.

“Nigeria’s lawmakers and other public office holders are already overpaid, overfed and overpampered. Their salaries should not be increased further. On the contrary, it is the working class who have been overworked, overtaxed but underpaid whose salaries should be increased, and promptly too.”

#NorthIsBleeding

#RedistributeWealth

#Politiciand Overpaid

#IncreaseWorkersWages

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola, 

Founder/Executive Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

 

LOOMING STRIKE IN OIL SECTOR: MURIC BERATES UNIONS

 

9^th September, 2025

PRESS RELEASE:

LOOMING STRIKE IN OIL SECTOR: MURIC BERATES UNIONS

Crisis looms in Nigeria’s oil sector as the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) threatens to go on strike over a disagreement with Dangote Refinery on the participation of Dangote workers in the petroleum body.

However, a faith-based human rights group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has urged the unions to key into Dangote’s vision of reduced hardship for Nigerians through low price of petrol.

This was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday, 9^th September, 2025 by the Founder and Executive Director of the Islamic civil liberties organization, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

The statement reads:

“The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has threatened to go on strike over a disagreement with Dangote Refinery on the participation of Dangote workers in the petroleum body. Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) is also in alliance with NUPENG on the issue (https://punchng.com/dangote-vs-nupeng-union-insists-on-strike-meets-fg-others-today/).

 

“MURIC calls on the unions to soft-pedal. This is not the best time to go on strike. Nigeria is just coming out of the woods as a result of the economic reforms of the Tinubu administration. A strike in the oil sector at this point in time can derail the reforms and take us back to the dark days of fuel shortages.

 

“We have seen the good effect of the emergence of a local private refinery in the last few months. We saw how one litre of petrol which used to cost N1,300 after the removal of subsidy came down drastically. It is now N860 or N900 depending on location after Dangote refinery came to the rescue.

 

“We appeal to the unions to allow Nigerians enjoy the full benefits of a local refinery that is already being celebrated all over the world. Ethiopia and Dangote Refinery recently signed a $2.5 billion deal to build a massive fertilizer plant in Ethiopia (https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/nigerias-dangote-ethiopia-build-25-billion-fertiliser-plant-2025-08-28/). The United States imported over two million barrels of Dangote’s jet fuel in March 2025 (https://theelectricityhub.com/dangote-refinery-gains-global-recognition-as-u-s-imports-over-2m-barrels-of-jet-fuel/).

 

“MURIC subscribes to the core principle of utilitarianism which is the greatest happiness to the greatest number of people. We therefore urge the unions to key into Dangote’s vision of reduced hardship for Nigerians through low price of petrol. This can only be facilitated if the unions cooperate in the area of diminished middlemen’s intervention. It can still be done without breaking the rules of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

“We appeal to the Federal Government (FG) to protect Dangote Refinery from this calculated attempt to blackmail it. Unionism often leads to oligarchic dictatorship which benefits only a few union leaders, their puppets and their court jesters leaving the hoi polloi at the receiving end. FG stands to gain if the price of petrol is drastically reduced as this will boost the gains of its economic reform.

“Nigeria needs every hand on deck as things stand. With a GDP growth of 3.13% in the first quarter of 2025 which is higher than the 2.27% in the same period in 2024 and the inflation rate reduced to 21.88 in July 2025 compared to the scary economic outlook in 2023 and 2024, FG cannot afford to relent on these gains by allowing aggressive unionism to scuttle the gains.

“Besides, the action of these unions is capable of discouraging investors who have already started showing interest in Nigeria. For instance, Brazil has indicated strong interest.

 

“Other countries which have shown interest in investing here include China, Saudi Arabia, Mauritius, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, the United Kingdom and the Republic of South Africa. FG must not leave foreign investors to the hawks in the garb of unionism. FG must do everything necessary to avoid another round of fuel shortages. This is the time to show prospective foreign investors that their investments will be protected. But Dangote must be protected first because charity, they say, begins at home.

 

“We remind Nigerians that Dangote’s policy of reduced middlemen’s influence will keep prices down. Subsidy thieves of those days can be compared to petroleum middlemen of today. They both make prices go higher.

 

“The unions are accusing Dangote Refinery of monopoly and enslavement, but what Nigerians see is economic emancipation and reduction in the prices of petroleum products.

 

“We therefore urge traditional rulers, opinion leaders and all men of goodwill to persuade both NUPENG and PENGASSAN to let Dangote and the Nigerian people breathe.”

 

#DangoteRefinery

#NupengPengassan

#LetDangoteNigeriansBreathe

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola, 

Founder/Executive Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

YOUR PROGRAM STRANGULATES FRIDAY PRAYER: MURIC TELLS OLUBADAN CORONATION COMMITTEE

 

6^th September, 2025

PRESS RELEASE:

YOUR PROGRAM STRANGULATES FRIDAY PRAYER: MURIC TELLS OLUBADAN CORONATION COMMITTEE

The coronation planning committee for the installation of the new Olubadan of Ibadan has released the programme for the week-long celebration. But an Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has criticized the programme for failing to make enough provision for the Friday Muslim prayer.

The group alleged that the coronation planning committee has kowtowed to the whims of the state governor who is in the habit of compelling Muslim communities to make their programmes clash with the Muslim Friday prayers but has never allowed one to take place on Sunday mornings when it would clash with Christian worship in the churches.

According to the group:

“The programme for the week-long celebration of the coronation of the Olubadan-elect, ex-Governor of Oyo State, Rasheed Adewolu Ladoja has been released by the planning committee.

“According to the week-long programme, it kicks off on Monday, 22^nd September, 2025 with a special inter-religious prayer session followed by a coronation cultural fiesta, a coronation lecture, a special birthday Islamic prayer session plus a Christian mega praise and worship on Tuesday 23^rd, Wednesday 24^th and Thursday 25^th respectively.

“However, the coronation per se is scheduled for Friday, 26^th September, 2025 by 9 am. We strongly object to the coronation fixed on the Muslim day of worship particularly because no special mention or provision was made in the programme for any Jumuah prayer.

“Neither is any mention made of any programme to be held in any mosque on that day whereas a ‘Thanksgiving Service’ to be held in the Catholic Cathedral, Oke Padre, by 9 am on Sunday, 28^th is conspicuously and boldly printed on the programme. This is an attempt to Christianise the coronation ceremony.

“Besides, the programme also indicated that another non-Islamic programme tagged ‘reception’ is scheduled for 1 pm on the same Friday. Who does not know that Muslims are expected to be in the mosque by 1 pm on Fridays? Yet this programme outrightly knocks out any contemplation of a Friday prayer on that holy day. This is a punch below the belt.

“Although the programmes billed for the first four days of the coronation ceremony are in order, we find the total alienation of the Friday Jumu’ah prayer from the Friday programmes repulsive, provocative, insensitive and therefore unacceptable. This programme strangulates the Muslim Friday prayer.

“Consequently, we call on the planning committee to respect the sensitivity of Oyo State Muslims in particular and the Nigerian Muslim community in general, by reviewing the programme for that day.

“It should be noted that guests from far and near are being expected at this monumental occasion, including Muslim leaders. They should not go away with the impression that Friday prayer is not recognized by the Oyo State government.

“Yet it will not be an isolated incident. Although Agodi has allegedly denied the involvement of government in the planning of the programmes, the state governor’s past record of fixing official programmes on Fridays and arriving late to the event is known to be legendary.

“At the road commissioning event in Iseyin on 15^th September, 2023, Governor Seyi Makinde arrived late. It was a Friday and Muslim guests were uncomfortable. That was the day former President Olusegun Obasanjo unleashed his ‘Edide, E joko’ i.e. ‘All stand! Sit down!’ classroom theater recapitulation on Iseyin kings.

 

“Muslims who attended the coronation ceremony of the late Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin on Friday, 12th July 2024 were unable to go for the Jumu’ah (Friday prayer) due to the late arrival of the state governor, Seyi Makinde.

 

“It is on record that MURIC complained about this incident in a statement dated 15^th July, 2024 captioned ‘MURIC To Makinde: Stop Friday Programs’ in which we advised the governor to stop scheduling programmes for Friday prayer periods (https://peacemagazine.com.ng/stop-scheduling-events-on-friday-muric-to-makinde/).

 

“Seyi Makinde has come after Friday again. This coming coronation programme will be the third example. It is said that once is happenstance, twice is a coincidence, the third time is enemy action. No amount of denial of involvement can extenuate the Oyo State government’s complicity in the attempted Christianisation of this programme.

 

“How are we sure that the coronation planning committee has not kowtowed to the whims of the state governor who is in the habit of compelling Muslim communities to make their programmes clash with the Muslim Friday prayers but has never allowed one to take place on Sunday mornings when it would clash with Christian worship in the churches?

“Our suggestion is that the programme should be reviewed. As the planning committee gave the Christian community of Ibadan special recognition with a ‘Thanksgiving Service’ to be held on Sunday, the same committee should recognize the Muslim community by holding its first ‘Thanksgiving Jumuah Service’ by 1 pm on Friday, 26^th September, 2025.

“The coronation reception may be shifted from 1 pm to 3pm. However, in view of the fact that Saturday is free of any coronation programme, we advise that the whole coronation per se which was earlier billed for Friday morning should be held on Saturday, 27^th September, 2025.

“Saturday is the best day for the coronation ceremony per se as it would relieve the planners of any form of pressure while seeking to avoid a clash between the coronation and the ‘Thanksgiving Jumuah Service’. The reception can follow immediately.”  

#OlubadanCoronation

#ReviewCoronationProgramme

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola, 

Founder/Executive Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)