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).