The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has raised an alarm over an alleged plot to unleash violence on Yoruba Muslims, calling on security agencies to act swiftly to prevent a crisis.
In a statement released on Friday, January 31, 2025, the Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, urged the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the Department of State Security (DSS), and other security agencies to investigate threats circulating on social media against Yoruba Muslims and their leaders.
According to MURIC, recent videos and articles have incited ethnic and religious hatred, with one purported group, the Yoruba Islamic Salvation Front (YOISF), allegedly mobilizing for attacks against supporters of civil Shari’ah in the South West.
“The threats are coming from different Yoruba groups, and the latest is from one Ahmed Saliu Olokoju, who claimed to be the Secretary General of YOISF. In his statement, he labeled Yoruba Muslims supporting Shari’ah as ‘Fulani agents’ and accused prominent Muslim leaders of being part of a conspiracy to introduce Shari’ah in Yorubaland,” Akintola stated.
MURIC further alleged that the threats included calls for attacks on Yoruba Muslim leaders, their families, and businesses. The statement described these threats as dangerous incitement that could lead to violent confrontations.
“We call on security agencies to take proactive measures before any attacks occur. Yoruba Muslims have remained peaceful, but we cannot ignore these threats. The presidency must also intervene to prevent any crisis in the South West,” Akintola warned.
While urging the Muslim community to remain calm, MURIC emphasized the need for peaceful coexistence, in line with the teachings of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA).
