REVEAL IDENTITIES OF OWO CHURCH KILLERS – MURIC

 

 

29^th June, 2022

PRESS RELEASE:

REVEAL IDENTITIES OF OWO CHURCH KILLERS – MURIC

The Commander of the Amotekun security outfit in Ondo State, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, last week reported that the criminals who were behind the killing of about 40 church worshippers in Owo, Ondo State, have been arrested. Reacting to the report, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has asked the Amotekun commander to reveal the identities of those arrested.

MURIC made the request in a statement signed by the director of the organisation, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Wednesday, 29^th June, 2022.

The statement reads :

“The Commander of the Amotekun security outfit in Ondo State, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, last week reported that those who killed 40 church worshippers in Owo, Ondo State, have been arrested.

“We hereby call on the Amotekun commander to reveal the identities of those arrested because Nigerians are eager to know them. We are eager to see the faces of those heartless human beings. Concealing their identities will not help matters because Nigerians have been on the tip-toes of expectation since seven days ago when their arrest was first announced.

“However, we are disturbed by reports that the police said they did not know about the arrest. We advise both Amotekun and the police to work in synergy. Only thus can we overcome our security challenges.”

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern,

(MURIC)

 

MURIC TO OMIRHOBO: WEAR YOUR TRADITIONAL ATTIRE TO COURT EVERYDAY

 

25^th June, 2022

PRESS RELEASE:

MURIC TO OMIRHOBO: WEAR YOUR TRADITIONAL ATTIRE TO COURT EVERYDAY

 

A lawyer, Malcolm Omirhobo, yesterday appeared at the Supreme Court dressed like a traditional doctor. Mr. Omirhobo claimed that he was reacting to the Supreme Court judgement on hijab of Friday, 17^th June, 2022. Meanwhile an Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has said the lawyer’s behaviour is not only contemptuous of the Supreme Court pronouncement but also provocative, condescending and irreconcilable with the noble profession of law.

 

MURIC’s position was contained in a statement issued on Saturday, 25^th June, 2022 by its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

 

The full statement reads :

 

“A lawyer, Malcolm Omirhobo, yesterday appeared at the Supreme Court dressed like a traditional priest (https://www.blueprint.ng/video-moment-human-rights-lawyer-caused-stir-at-supreme-court/, https://barristerng.com/breaking-supreme-court-forced-into-recces-as-lawyer-malcolm-omirhobo-appears-in-court-wearing-juju-priest-attire-to-protest-hijab-approval/).

 

“Mr. Omirhobo claimed that he was reacting to the Supreme Court judgement on hijab of Friday, 17^th June, 2022 which approved the wearing of hijab to school by female Muslim students.

 

“Going by his personal record, we are not in any way taken aback by what Omirhobo did yesterday. The lawyer has exhibited pathological hatred for Muslims, their religion and the language of their faith in the past.

 

“Was it not the same Omirhobo who went to court over the existence of Arabic letters on naira notes? He did not stop there. He challenged the use of Arabic on army logo. He also sued the Nigerian Police for approving hijab for police women in Nigeria.

 

“Omirhobo has behaved to type. If he has his way, he would have every single Muslim Shugabad out of Nigeria. He hates the sight of Muslims, their Qur’an and the language of that Holy Book, Arabic. His hatred reached boiling point when the highest court in the land approved the use of hijab for female students.

 

“This pushed him to the extreme behaviour which millions of Nigerians saw him manifesting on television yesterday. Instead of licking his wounds privately and gently after the court gave victory to the Muslims, he took his anger and frustration to the Supreme Court.

 

“Omirhobo’s hocus-pocus is not only contemptuous of the Supreme Court pronouncement but also provocative, condescending and irreconcilable with the noble profession of law. It is bigotry fanned by the embers of hatred. Instead of bowing to the rule of law, this lawyer sought to make a mockery of the judgement of the highest court in the land. He challenged the rule of law. It was reckless, lawless and unethical.

 

“MURIC calls the attention of respected unions and authorities in the legal profession like the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Body of Benchers, etc to the behaviour of Omirhobo. If this goes unnoticed, it should not go unpunished. If this goes unnoticed and unpunished, then there is no hope left for the hoi polloi and law abiding citizens in the Nigerian judiciary.

 

“Whereas some miscreants hide under the canopy of Islam to kill, maim and destroy properties, young Muslim students in South Western Nigeria have tolerated insults, abuses, intimidation, coercion and even corporal punishment without raising a single finger, not even once.

 

“All these because they demanded their Allah-given fundamental human right and their civil liberty to wear hijab as enshrined in Section 38(i) & (ii) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They patiently exhibited forbearance of the humiliation for more than sixty years.

 

“Instead of holding demonstrations and disturbing the flow of traffic, instead of towing the path of violence, they elected to follow the path of litigation. The journey in the law courts have lasted about nine years but these children waited patiently until the highest court in the land made its supreme pronouncement.

 

“Alas who did we find mocking the judgement? Who did we find rebelling against the wisdom of the highest court of the land? A learned, a robed lawyer in voodoo garb! If this is not the height of impunity, then we do not know what else to call it. We will be shocked to our marrows if the relevant authorities do nothing about this. It will be an invitation to lawlessness if Omirhobo is allowed to get away with this.

 

“We have no doubt, however, that this attempt to ridicule the judgement of the Supreme Court on hijab will fail. What happened to all the gymnastic namby-pamby and articulated razzle-dazzle that followed the approval of hijab by an Oshogbo high court years ago?

 

“The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) instructed Christian students to wear Sango, Obatala, masquerade, church choir garments, etc to school and they actually did. But MURIC told them at that time that it would not last. We said they would soon get tired of it. Well, did it last? Yet hijab is still being worn by female Muslim students in Osun State today without being challenged. So we know where Omirhobo’s acrobatic razzmatazz is coming from. He has failed already. Divine truth will always overwhelm social truth.

 

 

“To Chief Malcolm Omirhobo, MURIC has this to say, ‘Your dramatic abracadabra will fail unless there is another court above the Supreme Court. We will defeat you with our decency and discipline. We will defeat you with exchange of love for your hatred.

 

“‘Chief Omirhobo, we love you. But the issue remains whether or not you love yourself. If indeed you love yourself, accept the Supreme Court judgement on hijab in good faith. Stop desecrating the much reverred law profession. Those of us who are not learned should not be the ones teaching you to respect the rule of law.

 

“‘If you so wish, continue to wear your Babalawo lawyer dress to court everyday. Wear it everywhere (to the supermarket, hairdresser’s shop, petrol station, etc) the same way Muslim women have been wearing their own hijab’ and see the reaction of your personal friends. A word is enough for the wise.’”

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern,

(MURIC)

 

NAME TRAIN STATION AFTER FANI KAYODE SNR – MURIC

 

24^th June, 2022

PRESS RELEASE:

NAME TRAIN STATION AFTER FANI KAYODE SNR – MURIC

 

An Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has asked the Federal Government (FG) to name a train station after the former Deputy Premier of Western Nigeria, late Chief Remi Ade Fani-Kayode, father of Chief Femi Fani Kayode, a former Minister of Aviation.

 

MURIC argued that the former Deputy Premier deserves the honour more than some of those already given by virtue of the highly esteemed position held by him and the sacrifices he made for Nigeria.

 

The idea was muted on Friday, 24^th June, 2022 by the director of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Professor Ishaq Akintola.

 

His full statement reads:

 

“It has come to our notice that the name of Chief Remi Ade Fani-Kayode is conspicuously missing among the names of those honoured with train station nomenclatures by the Federal Government (FG). Chief Fani-Kayode was the Deputy Premier of the whole Western Region from 1963 to 1966.

 

“He was a legal luminary of great measure and one of the earliest crown counsels to the Queen of England. Fani-Kayode (Snr) played a major role in Nigeria’s legal history. Not only that, he was one of the leading dramatis personnae in the struggle for independence and a major character in the Nigerian political landscape from 1940 to 1995.

 

“Fani-Kayode demonstrated uncommon courage in his political career. He fought against autocratic leadership and feudalistic royalty. His followers loved him passionately. Above all, he was a categorically detribalised Nigerian who did everything possible to keep Nigeria strong and united.

 

“In this regard, he joined Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola, the region’s premier who was also a great patriot and unequalled nationalist, to forge a coalition with the mainstream political party in the North in order to promote national unity. This is his major contribution.

 

“The parameter employed in picking those to be honoured by FG by naming train stations after them remains monumentally flawed if such a great hero is left out. It remains lopsided. If names like Mrs Funmilayo Ransome Kuti (Papalanto Station), Olusegun Osoba (Olodo Station) and Mobolaji Johnson (Ebute Metta Station) who held office or featured only at state level appear at our train stations, why shouldn’t that of the great Fani-Kayode appear at one of our stations as a memorabilia for his immense contribution to the political and legal development of this country.

 

“We affirm without any fear of contradiction that Chief Fani-Kayode (Snr) is one of Nigeria’s heroes. He deserves to be honoured like many others. It is unfair to leave him out where others are honoured particularly when most of those honoured are still alive and holding public offices. We should honour our heroes past too just as we honour those who are still alive so that those coming behind us may honour us.

 

“The former Deputy Premiere deserves it even more than some of those already given by virtue of the highly esteemed position held by him and the sacrifices he made for Nigeria. His constituency at that time was the whole Western region which contained six states (Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti) and the deputy premier of the whole Western Region at that time held a position higher than that of a state governor. He can actually be compared to someone controlling two states.

 

 

“We therefore demand the naming of a train station in Nigeria’s South Western hemisphere after the Deputy Premier of the old Western Nigeria, Chief Victor Babaremilekun Adetokunbo Fani-Kayode. It will be a honour well deserved.”

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern,

(MURIC)

 

IMPEACHMENT: VOTE OUT MAKINDE IN 2023 – MURIC

 

21^st June, 2022

PRESS RELEASE:

IMPEACHMENT: VOTE OUT MAKINDE IN 2023 – MURIC

 

The Oyo State House of Assembly has served an impeachment notice on the deputy governor of the state, Engr Rauf Olaniyan. However, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has picked holes in the move. The human rights organization has also called on Muslims in the state to vote out the governor for his anti-Muslim activities.

 

This was contained in a statement circulated among the media by the director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Tuesday, 21^st June, 2022.

 

The statement reads in full:

 

“The Oyo State House of Assembly last week served an impeachment notice on the deputy governor of the state, Engr Rauf Olaniyan. We reject this move. We are aware that there has been no love lost between Governor Makinde and his deputy. But the governor himself knows the true motive of wanting his deputy out of the way.

 

“We put it to Makinde that his desire to remove his deputy is religiously motivated. He wants his deputy removed because the latter is not on the same page with him in his Christianization agenda in Oyo State. Impeachment is therefore a ruse, Christianization is the agenda.

 

“The new Muslim running mate will also be used and dumped like Olaniyan. Makinde cannot stomach the company of a deputy who does not share his vision of exclusionism targeted at Muslims. The new running mate will also be benched

He will also be benched when the governor is done with him and it is the same feeding-bottle lawmakers that will be used to get rid of him.

 

“Makinde intends to run an Alpha and Omega system where Muslim deputies will be changed at will. This is his own way of protecting his anti-Muslim policy where the evangelisation of the school system will continue unchallenged  with undue preference given to Kollendar crusaders to access the state schools and students indiscriminately

 

“It is also his own way of continuing the unjust, unlawful, illegal, illegitimate and unconstitutional denial of Allah-given fundamental human rights of Muslims to timely promotion for Muslim judges in the state despite merit and due qualifications.

 

“Equally noteworthy is Makinde’s deliberate cancellation of the Muslim Hijrah holiday ab initio without due consultation and the imbalance in appointments of commissioners at the inception of the administration.  

 

“In the education sector, the imports of Makinde’s deliberate exclusion of teachers of Arabic and Islamic studies in the teachers recruitment exercise, deliberate inclusion of CRS content in employment interview questions to put Muslim candidates at a disadvantage, deliberate selection of missionary-named schools for rehabilitation in the special school remodeling project have not been lost on Oyo State Muslims.

 

“But it is in the discrimination against, harassment and intimidation of Muslim girls in hijab by recalcitrant principals in some schools in the state that Makinde has out-Heroded King Herod.

 

“Makinde’s anti-Muslim policies, actions and inactions are too many to mention. But he is not done yet. After impoverishing the Muslim population in the state by robbing them of political offices, after denying Muslim children of their much loved Arabic and Islamic education, after exposing female Muslim students to intimidation and coercion and their parents to pain and anguish, he wants to bring down the sledge-hammer on his Muslim deputy.

 

“It was Ian Flemming, author of the James Bond series, who once wrote, ‘Once is happenstance, twice is a coincidence, the third time is enemy action’. The governor’s anti-Muslim antics have long become enemy action against Muslims of Oyo State.

 

“This is why the Muslims of Oyo State have only one option left and that is to ensure that their oppressor does not return in 2023 for a second term of injustice, a second term of oppression and a second term of downpression of Muslims under him. Makinde must be voted out. He has misused and outlived his mandate. Oyo State Muslims will speak to him in the only language understood by oppressive governors.”

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern,

(MURIC)

 

MURIC HAILS SUPREME COURT JUDGEMENT ON HIJAB

 

17^th June, 2022

PRESS RELEASE:

MURIC HAILS SUPREME COURT JUDGEMENT ON HIJAB

 

A Muslim rights advocacy group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has hailed the judgement of the Supreme Court of Nigeria for upholding the sanctity and constitutionality of hijab. In a judgement delivered yesterday, Thursday, 16^th June, 2022, the Supreme Court approved the use of hijab.

 

MURIC’s message which was dated 17^th June, 2022, was signed by its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

 

The full statement reads :

 

“The Supreme Court of Nigeria in its judgement yesterday, Thursday, 16^th June, 2022, approved the use of hijab by Muslim students. The apex court dismissed the appeal by the Lagos State Government and upheld the earlier judgement of the Court of Appeal which held that the ban on hijab was discriminatory against Muslim students.

 

“The court upheld that the ban violated the Muslim students’ rights to freedom of thought, conscience, religion, the dignity of human persons and freedom from discrimination guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (https://punchng.com/breaking-supreme-court-upholds-use-of-hijab-in-lagos-schools/).

 

“Seven justices of the Supreme Court sat on the matter. Five of them supported the judgement while two opposed it. The lead judgement was read by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun. Other justices on the panel were Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, Justice John Inyang Okoro, Justice Uwani Aji, Justice Mohammed Garba, Justice Tijjani Abubakar and Justice Emmanuel Agim.

“This is the moment of truth. Divine truth has overwhelmed social truth. No matter how long, truth will prevail in the end. MURIC hails this judgement. We salute the courage of the honourable justices who stood by the sanctity of the Constitution and the inviolability of our font et origo.

“Once again, this pronouncement has infused hope in the Nigerian judiciary. The justices have refused to be swayed by religious sentiment. They stuck to the facts of the case and relied on the supremacy of the Nigerian Constitution. This is evident in the constitution of the panel: only three of them are Muslims while the remaining four are Christians. Yet five of them were in favour.

“We call on the Lagos State Government (LASG) to immediately implement the letter and spirit of this judgement. It becomes imperative for LASG to issue a circular on the approval of hijab in all its public schools without any delay. MURIC had earlier demanded the issuance of this circular but LASG ignored our demand to date.

 

“But the highest court in the land has now spoken and LASG cannot afford to delay it because this is a constitutional matter and an issue of great public interest. Had it been freely given had been good, but it has been delayed until the victims of oppression and persecution can no longer express gratitude to LASG for having their Allah-given fundamental human rights restored by the Supreme Court.

 

“Let this serve as an eye-opener and a warning to religious fanatics and Muslim-haters wherever they may be, particularly those who often snatch the hijab from the heads of female Muslim students in public, those who have been humiliating our daughters and those who have been beating them mercilessly. Judgement day is here.

 

"We can see the doors of South West prisons opening to admit culprits of contempt of this Supreme Court pronouncement. Afterall, it is well known that there is no appeal for Supreme Court judgement. It is the last bus stop. All public school authorities, hardliner principals, classroom teachers in Kwara, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo, etc, are advised to take note.

 

“We give thanks to Almighty Allah, the Most Powerful, the Wisest, the Greatest, the Inimitable, the Indefatigable, the Invincible, the Judge of all judges, King of all kings and Master of all masters. We reaffirm our faith in the oneness of Allah and the prophethood of Muhammad (Peace and Mercy of Allah be upon him).

 

“MURIC congratulates Nigerian Muslims, particularly all Islamic organisations in the country. Special encomiums go to the team of Muslim lawyers who fought the case. They are our frontline soldiers. We salute their tenacity. We pray that Allah will reward them in this world and in the Hereafter. It has been a hard-won victory and a long road to triumph.

 

“Before we lift our fingers from the keyboard, we dedicate this victory to the undisputed leader of Nigerian Muslims, the Sultan of Sokoto and the President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’d Abubakar for his wise counsel and his unwavering belief in peaceful approach at all times. We thank Allah that this victory came in his lifetime.”

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern,

(MURIC)