The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has rejected the “Christian genocide” narrative circulating in national discourse, arguing instead that terrorists attack places of worship and schools due to what it calls a “crowd mentality” a strategy focused on maximising casualties and ransom value, not religious identity.
The position was contained in a statement issued on Friday by MURIC’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
According to the Islamic human rights organisation, terrorists and bandits target mosques, churches, and schools because these locations naturally gather large numbers of people, making them ideal for mass abductions or attacks intended to draw attention or extract high ransom payments.
“We have come to the conclusion that terrorists and bandits are not actually targeting Muslims and their mosques or Christians and their churches,” Akintola said.
“They have only developed a ‘crowd mentality’ a preference for places where large numbers of people gather.”
MURIC explained that terrorists operate on simple logic: crowds guaranteed higher casualty figures or increased ransom potential. The group argued that this motivation has nothing to do with religion.
The statement posed a series of rhetorical questions to illustrate its point:
“Has any terrorist gone into an empty mosque to attack it?”
“Have they entered an empty church or attacked a school during holidays?”
According to MURIC, the answer is consistently no, reinforcing its view that people, not religious institutions, are the targets.
Akintola added that entertainers also seek crowds to perform for, described this as another example of “crowd mentality,” though used for entertainment rather than violence.
MURIC criticised what it described as an “emotionally charged” Christian genocide narrative, insisting that a more balanced understanding of terrorist motives would prevent unnecessary religious tension.
“If the theory of crowd mentality sits down well with Nigerians, we will stop accusing one another,” the statement said.
“Terrorists seek to divide Nigerians along religious lines, but we can defeat them with better intellect.”
The organisation called for collaboration among government, Muslim leaders, and Christian leaders to improve security around worship centres and schools, urging a united front to “run terrorists out of business.”
