The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has strongly denied allegations that it or other Yoruba Muslim groups are responsible for inviting bandits and Boko Haram terrorists into the South-West, describing the claim as a smear campaign orchestrated by individuals it referred to as “Muslim haters.”
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, dismissed as false and malicious a social media allegation that the group had radicalised Islamic clerics in the region and was facilitating the entry of terrorists into Yorubaland.
Akintola argued that the allegation lacked logic, noting that terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and bandits attack both Muslims and Christians without distinction.
“How can MURIC or any Yoruba Muslim group invite Boko Haram or bandits to Yorubaland when we all know that those criminals do not differentiate on the basis of religion? They kill more Muslims than Christians and attack both mosques and churches,” he said.
The MURIC leader maintained that the organisation has consistently condemned terrorism and violent extremism over the years, citing several public statements issued against Boko Haram, attacks on churches, train attacks, killings in Zamfara State and other acts of terror across the country.
According to him, MURIC’s long-standing motto, “Dialogue, Not Violence,” reflected its commitment to peaceful advocacy and distinguishes it from extremist groups.
Akintola further alleged that Yoruba Muslims have faced religious discrimination for decades and that groups advocating for their rights are often branded as radicals or extremists by opponents seeking to maintain the status quo.
He claimed that MURIC has been the target of repeated campaigns aimed at damaging its reputation, including previous allegations linking its leadership to terrorist financing, which he said were never substantiated.
The organisation also called for unity among Yoruba people in confronting the growing threat of insecurity in the South-West, warning against attempts to politicise or religiously profile the fight against banditry.
“MURIC invites all Yoruba citizens to unite to fight bandits. A divided house can never stand. United we stand, divided we fall. Nobody should politicise banditry. This is not about religion,” Akintola stated.
He urged citizens to support security agencies and lawful community-based security initiatives, stressing that both Muslims and Christians have a common interest in protecting their communities from criminal elements.
The group insisted that efforts to portray Yoruba Muslims as sympathetic to terrorists would only weaken collective action against insecurity and distract from the urgent need for cooperation in tackling banditry and terrorism in the region.
MURIC concluded by reaffirming its opposition to all forms of terrorism and expressing confidence that Nigerians and security agencies would not be swayed by what it described as baseless allegations.
