MUSLIM RIGHTS
CONCERN (MURIC)
هيئة حقوق المسلمين
Motto: Dialogue,
Not Violence
6th February, 2026
PRESS RELEASE:
US TROOPS IN NIGERIA: WE SEEK CLARIFICATIONS - MURIC
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has requested for clarifications
over the presence of American troops in Nigeria. The group expressed concern
for the safety of Muslim leaders in particular and the sovereignty of Nigeria
in general. It interrogated US goal of protecting Nigerian Christians and also
called on Nigerian leaders to take hold of the nation's destiny.
This was contained in a statement circulated to the media on
Friday, 6th February, 2026 by the Executive Director of the Muslim Rights
Concern (MURIC), Professor Ishaq Akintola.
The full statement reads:
"The United States of America confirmed three days ago that
its troops were already on ground in Nigeria (https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/us-military-says-some-forces-have-been-dispatched-nigeria-2026-02-03/).
"The Federal Government (FG) also confirmed this later on
the same day (https://dailytrust.com/dhq-admits-us-troops-in-nigeria/?noamp=aavailable; https://www-bbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.bbc.com/pidgin/articles/) although the
Defence Minister, General Christopher Musa, later said they were 'not combat
forces' (https://businessday.ng/news/article/us-troops-in-nigeria-are-not-combat-forces-says-defence-minister/)
"MURIC considers this development as an overreach
and the secrecy surrounding US troop deployment to Nigeria disturbing. While we
welcome cooperation between Nigeria and the US in the fight against terrorism,
we do not think US boots on ground is necessary. In the first place, we regard
it as a discriminatory, and selective response of the US to the question of
religious persecution in Nigeria.
“We assert that there is nothing like Christian genocide in
Nigeria. What we have is terrorism, insecurity and religious persecution on both
sides of Christians and Muslims and what we lack is religious tolerance.
“For greater clarity, Muslims in Southern Nigeria have
been suffering from religious persecution in the hands of their Christian compatriots
for decades if not centuries. These persecutions are legendary although the
Nigerian authorities have turned deaf ears to their cries to date. But Southern
Muslims have not taken it upon themselves to falsely accuse their Christian
counterparts of ‘Muslim genocide’.
“The case of terrorism and other issues of insecurity are another
cup of tea and it affects Nigerians of all faith. It therefore beggars belief
that America, a nation regarded as the champion of democracy, freedom and equal
rights will descend on Nigeria to selectively fight or ‘protect’ one group.
“If the US should promote democratic principles of freedom of
religion in Nigeria at all, it has a moral duty not to be selective but to
promote freedom for both Christians and Muslims who are in captivity. There
should be no selective solutions to religious persecution anywhere in the
world.
“If, therefore, it is true that US troops are already on ground in
Nigeria, we demand that there should be no clampdown on religious activities of
Muslims or on Muslim leaders. No Muslim leader should disappear or be
assassinated and no renditions.
“We note that the Federal Government (FG) called the
American forces on ground a 'small team'. But even that ‘small team’ of US
troops in Nigeria amounts to the presence of a Christian Army in view of the emphasis
given the goal of US invasion embodied in US President Trump's pre-strike and
pre-US-troops’ deployment rhetoric (protecting Nigerian Christians).
“Against this backdrop, the perception of Nigerian Muslims (and
the global Muslim community) concerning the presence of US troops in Nigeria
would have been different if America's stated goal ab initio had been to
protect law abiding Nigerians (including people of all faiths) to eliminate
terrorists and to stop the spate of killings generally.
“But the stated objective of protecting Christians only makes any
American boot on ground in Nigeria a Christian Army (with all its
implications). It also constitutes a threat to global peace as many people
around the world, especially Muslims now see the presence of American troops in
the country as an attempt to intimidate the Nigerian majority Muslim
population.
“Millions of Southern Muslims have been forcefully
converted to Christianity, particularly in the South West while thousands of
Muslims in the South East face the threat of death unless they converted to
Christianity. A new video clip which emerged last week showed a Christian
militant from the South East inciting Christians to kill any Muslim they see
around. Hundreds of Muslims have been killed in the South East in the past ten
years.
“Those Muslims in Southern Nigeria who have persevered in
the face of persecution in the hands of their Christian neighbours and those who
have also resisted attempts at forced conversion will find it difficult to believe
that the ‘small team’ of US troops is not a Christian Army eventually deployed
to force them to accept Christianity at gun point unless America waters down
its pro-Christian and anti-Muslim rhetoric by using such language that
reflects respect for the dignity of Nigerian Muslims.
“In the same way that mainstream Nigerian Muslims will not
surrender to terrorism, we will not give in to imperialist intimidation. What
is happening today is not different from neo-imperialist terrorism. Already,
some Nigerian Christians have started using the presence of US troops in
Nigeria to harass Muslims in the country. This is absolutely unacceptable (https://www-vanguardngr-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.vanguardngr.com/2026/02/anti-terror-war-ex-militant-leader-warns-dokubo-gumi-over-reported-arrival-of-u-s-troops-in-nigeria/amp/).
While interviewing the son of a former Nigerian president who is a
Muslim, an anchor lady on a popular Nigerian cable television network also said
the US strike was targeted at Sokoto so as to emphasise the importance of a
Christian cleric who lives in the city and to earn him more respect!
“We assert very firmly that Nigerian Muslims will hold the National
Assembly (NASS) responsible for failing to ask the necessary questions. What
part of the cooperation between Nigeria and the US necessitates the presence of
US troops on Nigerian soil? Has the Nigerian Constitution been suspended? Was
the NASS carried along? Why did the Federal Government (FG) fail to inform
Nigerians about the plan? Who is paying for the operation, the accommodation of
US troops, feeding, etc: Nigerian tax payers or US tax payers?
“Before we exit from this conversation, we note that the
conspiratorial silence from the Nigerian civil society, students bodies,
workers unions, etc on the issue of American troops on Nigerian soil is
baffling. If these groups are silent because of the assumption that America has
come for Nigerian Muslims only, we remind them of the words of Martin
Niemöller, a German Lutheran pastor in the hands of Nazi Germany.
He said, ‘First they came for the communists and I did not speak
out because I was not a communist. Then they came for the socialists and I did not speak
out
because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the
trade unionists
and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the
Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came
for me and there was no one left to speak out for me’.
“By the way, FG
described the presence of the American troops in the country as a
'small' team of
American soldiers. This description needs to be interrogated. How 'small' is
'small'?
#USTroopsInNigeria
#NASS
#HowSmallIsSmall
Professor Ishaq
Akintola,
Founder/Executive
Director,
Muslim Rights
Concern (MURIC).
