STOP ARBITRARY ARREST OF MUSLIMS IN OGBOMOSO – MURIC

 

19^th November, 2024

PRESS RELEASE:

STOP ARBITRARY ARREST OF MUSLIMS IN OGBOMOSO – MURIC

 

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has described the recent spate of arrests of Muslim youths in Ogbomoso as arbitrary, dangerous, odious and insidious. While pointing accusing finger at the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, the group called on the Oyo State Police Command to stop the ugly trend and remain neutral.

 

MURIC made the call on Tuesday, 19^th November, 2024 in a press release signed by its Founder and Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

 

The release said:

 

“The Ogbomoso Muslim Youths Forum has cried out over the current spate of arrests of its members. Four Muslim youths were arrested and detained last week by the police.   

 

“Kasimu Owolabi was arrested in Ogbomoso on Monday 11^th November, 2024. He was taken to Eleiyele, Ibadan where he spent two nights. His release was secured on Wednesday, 13^th November, 2024.

 

“On the same day, i.e. Wednesday, 13^th November, 2024, another Ogbomoso Muslim youth, Adebisi Muritala, was arrested and moved to Ibadan where he also passed the night.

 

“Still not satisfied, the police again arrested two other Muslim youths, namely, Abdulsalam Abdullahi and Mustapha AbdulRahman, that same week.

 

“We are constrained to bring this disturbing trend to the attention of the Nigerian public. Muslim youths in Ogbomoso can no longer sleep at home. Neither can they walk the streets freely. Their attendance in the mosque to worship has been equally endangered as any of them can be picked up at any time.

 

“MURIC strongly condemns this spate of arrests. It is arbitrary, dangerous, odious and insidious. It is a barbaric attack on freedom of speech, a brutal assault on freedom of movement and a gross violation of Allah-given fundamental human rights of Ogbomoso Muslim youths.

 

“But there is no smoke without fire. At least the last two detainees were allegedly picked up for leaking a petition reportedly authored from the palace of the Soun of Ogbomoso. It was also alleged that the first detainee, Kasimu Owolabi, was arrested for ‘insulting’ the Soun during a protest held by Ogbomoso Muslims against the monarch. It is now obvious that Soun’s reign of terror is already in full motion.

 

“The allegations levelled against the Muslim youths run counter to the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Section 39 of the constitution guarantees the right to freedom of expression by stipulating as follows: Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impact ideas and information without interference.

 

“Arbitrary arrest is an open contravention of Section 41 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which says inter alia, ‘Every citizen of Nigeria is entitled to move freely throughout Nigeria and to reside in any part thereof, and no citizen of Nigeria shall be expelled from Nigeria or refused entry thereby or exit therefrom.’

“By extension, Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and Article 12 of the African Charter on Human and People’s rights lay strong emphasis on the right of citizens of all countries to move freely within their borders.

“The question is being asked, ‘Why are Ogbomoso Muslim youths being hounded right, left and center?’ Well, the witch cried yesterday, the child died today, do we have to go far looking for the child’s killer? We do not have to consult any oracle to find out who is behind the spate of arrests.

 

“We charge the Oyo State Police Command to remain neutral. The command must discharge its duties with utmost finesse. Hounding Muslim youths merely for expressing dissent is unprofessional, unethical and undignifying for any police force that seeks and cherishes global standard behaviour. Oyo State Police Command must stop this wave of intimidation and suppression.

 

“One-time British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain who ruled from May 1937 to May 1940 spoke of five evils: brute force, bad faith, injustice, oppression and persecution. Those five evils have been fully manifested in Ogbomoso under a pastor turned totalitarian traditional ruler. The police have no business sharpening his weapon of tyranny. It is illegal to obey unlawful instruction.

 

“The danger here is that the king is visiting his tools of oppression on the Muslims of the ancient town. Something is terribly wrong if a pastor becomes king and starts targeting Muslim land for conversion to what it was not intended for and orchestrating the mass arrest of Muslims.

 

“MURIC calls for the enforcement of fundamental human rights of Ogbomoso Muslims with immediate effect. We warn that Nigerian Muslims will not stand akimbo while the right to personal liberty of Ogbomoso Muslims in particular and that of any other Muslim anywhere in this country is compromised. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

 

#OyoPoliceCommand

#StopArbitraryArrests

#OgbomosoMuslims

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola, 

Founder/Executive Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC

 

MURIC APPRECIATES EDO GOVERNOR-ELECT FOR APPOINTING TWO MUSLIMS AS COS AND SSG

 

18^th November, 2024

PRESS RELEASE:

MURIC APPRECIATES EDO GOVERNOR-ELECT FOR APPOINTING TWO MUSLIMS AS COS AND SSG

 

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has expressed appreciation for the appointment of two Muslims as Chief of Staff (COS) and Secretary to the State Government (SSG) by the newly elected governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo.

 

This was stated in a statement issued on Monday, 18th November, 2024 by the Founder and Executive Director of the Islamic human rights organization, MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

 

The full statement reads:

 

"The appointment of Mallam Gani Audu as Chief of Staff (COS) and Barr Umar Musa Ikhilor as Secretary to the State Government (SSG) by the newly elected governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has been announced by the state government.

 

"MURIC celebrates Senator Monday Okpebholo as the most dynamic, most revolutionary and most visionary of our time. In addition, we congratulate him on his well deserved victory in the Edo State gubernatorial election of October 2024.

 

"These appointments will go down in the history of Edo State in particular and the whole of Southern Nigeria as the most liberal, most inclusive and most democratic. Not even any of the South Western states where Muslims are in the majority have been this good.

 

"It will be recalled that Muslims in Edo State had earlier called for fair representation in the political affairs of Edo State. By these two appointments, the governor-elect has demonstrated his readiness to listen to the yearnings of key stakeholders. 

 

“Not only that, he has also manifested the height of tolerance of other faiths. Unlike Muslim-haters and winner-takes-all elements who are unwilling to sit at table with Muslims in their states, Monday Okpebholo has shown that he is ready to rub minds with Muslims in his state and to share the dividends of democracy with them.

 

“It is important to note that chroniclers are already on the pages of history regarding how Muslims have been treated in Edo State by the governor-elect. Today was born from the wombs of yesterday while tomorrow is in the making. We will not forget those who treated us like fellow homo sapiens. We will like Okpebholo to be counted when prospective Christian presidential candidates are marching on Abuja.

 

“Well, like Oliver Twist, it is natural that we ask for more and it is not a bad idea particularly since we have shown appreciation, unlike the nine ungrateful lepers. (Luke 17:11-19).

 

“We remind the governor-elect of the need to still give Muslims a fairly good representation in his coming appointment of commissioners, board chairmen and members as well as heads of government agencies.

 

"We appeal to all citizens in the state, to cooperate with Okpebholo as he takes the state to the next level. A leader who toes the path of justice, equity and fairness deserves the support of all.

 

“We call upon Nigerians to understand where MURIC is coming from. We appreciate those who show understanding towards Muslims and respect their feelings. We are not irrational. Neither are we unnecessarily confrontational.

 

“We will shout your name to the hills, the valleys, the mountains and high heaven when you oppress us. But we will sing your praise till the angels register your name in the record of the righteous when you deal fairly with Muslims.”

 

#UpOkpebholo

#UpEdoState

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola, 

Founder/Executive Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC

 

IT IS HATE SPEECH: MURIC TELLS MAN WHO ATTACKED TINUBU FOR ATTENDING ARAB-ISLAMIC SUMMIT

 

13^th November, 2024

PRESS RELEASE:

IT IS HATE SPEECH: MURIC TELLS MAN WHO ATTACKED TINUBU FOR ATTENDING ARAB-ISLAMIC SUMMIT

 

The allegation of violation of the Nigerian constitution made by a former All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirant, Charles Udeogaranya, against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for attending the Arab-Islamic Summit in Saudi Arabia has been described as hate speech, infantile and islamophobic.

 

The reaction was circulated to the media on Wednesday, 13^th November, 2024 by the Founder and Executive Director of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).

 

The statement reads:

 

“A former All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirant, Charles Udeogaranya, yesterday accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of violating the Nigerian constitution for attending the Arab-Islamic Summit in Saudi Arabia. He also described the president’s action as impeachable (https://dailypost.ng/2024/11/12/tinubus-representation-at-arab-islamic-summit-offensive-impeachable-offense-apc-chieftain/).

 

“We are shocked by Udeogaranya’s shortsightedness and his decision to hobnob with sentimentalities. His allegation is motivated by anti-Muslim emotions and it can best be described as hate speech, infantile and islamophobic.

 

“We see no offence committed here if the president has attended a gathering under whatever aegis where solution to a raging war is being sought. More than fifty heads of states attended the summit and many of them came from non-Arab and non-Islamic countries. We thought all the noise about Muslim-Christian controversies were over. It is better for Udeogaranya and his sponsors to allow sleeping dogs to lie.

 

“His submissions were full of flaws. For instance, he claimed that Nigeria is a secular state. We corrected this wrong impression long ago but people like Udeogaranya love to buy books entitled ‘Common Errors in National Discourse: Failures Come And Buy’.

 

“They love to prepare only for failure in examinations. Nigeria is a multi-religious state. A secular state is one where religion is not recognized but Nigeria recognizes several religions and allows them to flourish.

 

“Also, he allegedly said ‘most Nigerians are Christians and that Nigerians firmly support Israel in all international matters’. Only a man who just dropped from Jupiter can make such a false, reckless, baseless and unfounded statement.

 

“Can he substantiate these? Can he cite at least two instances where and when Nigeria supported Israel? Udeogaranya may be suffering from desertification of terminological exactitude syndrome. He should check his facts again.

 

“Meanwhile nobody should take his allegations seriously. His call for impeachment should equally be ignored because it is meaningless, null, void and of no consequence. President Tinubu did not go for a tea party in Saudi Arabia. He went to serve this country. It is not easy to embark on trips.

 

“Records of the president’s speech at the summit have emerged. Tinubu addressed the ongoing Israel-Palestinian conflict, highlighting Nigeria’s call for an immediate ceasefire and a peaceful resolution.

 

“President Tinubu advocated for reviving the two-state solution to achieve lasting peace in the region and expressed deep concern over the humanitarian conditions in Gaza and warned that ‘empty condemnations’ are not enough to end the conflict in Palestine, which, he said, ‘has persisted for far too long’ (https://punchng.com/tinubu-returns-to-abuja-after-arab-islamic-summit-in-saudi-arabia/).

 

“This contribution shows that our president has a clear picture of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and his representation of Nigeria at the summit has not been in vain. Therefore, he deserves commendation for his efforts, not criticism.”

 

 

#ArabIslamicSummit

#TinubuRightOnSummit

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola, 

Founder/Executive Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC

 

STOP CRUDE OIL SUPPLY TO ISRAEL – MURIC TELLS FG

 

12^th November, 2024

PRESS RELEASE:

STOP CRUDE OIL SUPPLY TO ISRAEL – MURIC TELLS FG

 

A human rights group has urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to stop crude oil supply to Israel until the latter halts its genocide against the Palestinian people. Speaking under the aegis of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), the group alleged that Nigeria is complicit in the crime against humanity being committed by Israel as long as it continues to supply crude oil to the Zionist state.

 

In a statement made available to journalists on Tuesday, 12^th November, 2024, the Founder and Executive Director of MURIC, described the continued supply of crude oil to Israel while thousands of innocent women and children are being killed in Gaza as aiding criminality, abetting belligerence and applauding genocide.

 

He said:

 

“In spite of the raging genocide in Gaza, the Federal Government of Nigeria continues to supply crude oil to Israel thereby strengthening the Zionist enclave’s resolve to butcher thousands of innocent Palestinians most of whom are vulnerable women and children in its senseless genocide in the region.

 

“Nigeria’s attitude in this regard can best be described as aiding criminality, abetting belligerence and applauding genocide. It is insensitive, selfish and unacceptable. The continued supply of crude oil to Israel while thousands of innocent women and children are being slaughtered in Gaza dips the hands of Nigeria in the blood of innocent Palestinians.

 

“Nine per cent of the crude oil supplied to Israel between October 21, 2023, and July 12, 2024 came from Nigeria. This accounts for more than 133 kilotons of Nigerian crude delivered to the Zionist state via TotalEnergies, Shell, Chevron, Eni and Exxon.

 

“As a recalcitrant and belligerent nation, Israel can only be whipped into line by the rest of the world through sanctions by countries who take serious objection to racism and Nigeria happens to be one of such countries.

 

“This can only be done by withholding our crude oil at this crucial period. Israel relies heavily on crude oil and refined petroleum imports to operate its large fleet of fighter jets, tanks, and other military vehicles and operations.

 

“It should be noted that Nigerian oil is used each time an Israeli jet flies into Northern or Southern Gaza to drop its deadly bombs on innocent civilians, pregnant women and kids.

 

“South Africa, Bahrain, Chad, Chile, Columbia, Honduras, Jordan and Turkey have all withdrawn their ambassadors from Israel. Belize, Bolivia in Latin America have suspended relations with the Zionist state (https://www.axios.com/2023/11/16/israel-gaza-war-countries-against-cease-fire-diplomats).

 

President Gustavo Petro of Colombia went a step further by suspending energy exports to Israel until the genocide in Gaza stops (https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Colombia-Bans-Coal-Exports-to-Israel.html). Also, South Africa single-handedly took Israel to the International Criminal Court (ICJ) on 29^th December, 2023.

 

“But what has been Nigeria’s contribution to the struggle to stop the bloodshed? Nigeria has only come up with mere condemnations of the actions of Israel. It is our considered opinion that condemnations remain mere rhetorics if the other party remains adamant and continues to do exactly the same thing it was doing before.

 

“It is therefore time for Nigeria to do more than mere condemnation. It is time for Nigeria to show by action that it is not going to be party to the killing of vulnerable women and children.

 

“At the last count, 43,508 Palestinians had been killed. 180 journalists, 261 teachers, 8 professors, 120 junior university lecturers, 5,479 students, 3 union presidents, 224 humanitarian workers including 179 staff of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) have fallen victims of Israeli blood-thirsty war machine.

 

“The time to act is now. Israel has gone haywire. It has defied the 193 member states of the United Nations (UN). It rejected resolution ES10/22 of 27^th October, 2023 which called for immediate ceasefire as well as a plethora of resolutions of the UN earlier declared.

 

“We therefore demand that Nigeria joins Colombia by stopping the supply of its crude oil to Israel with immediate effect until the Zionist enclave stops its criminal and inhuman acts of genocide against the Palestinian people. Nigeria is complicit in the crime against humanity being committed by Israel as long as it continues to supply crude oil to the Zionist state.

 

“MURIC calls on members of the National Assembly (NASS) not to play the ostrich in the ongoing massacre of vulnerable women and children in Palestine.

 

#GazaGenocide

#NigerianCrudeOil

#StopOilSupplyToIsrael

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola, 

Founder/Executive Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC

 

PROBE PERENNIAL COLLAPSE OF NATIONAL GRID – MURIC

 

8^th November, 2024

PRESS RELEASE:

PROBE PERENNIAL COLLAPSE OF NATIONAL GRID – MURIC

 

The Federal Government (FG) has been urged to institute a probe into the perennial collapse of the national power grid. Making the call on Friday, 8^th November, 2024, was an Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC). A statement signed by the group’s Founder and Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, urged FG to find a lasting solution to Nigeria’s culture of darkness.

 

MURIC said:

 

“It will be recalled that the national grid collapsed for the second time in the last two days (Tuesday 5^th and Thursday 7^th November, 2024. See https://punchng.com/just-in-national-grid-collapses-second-time-in-two-days/).

 

“We are deeply disturbed because constant and stable electricity is central to the emergence of Nigeria from industrial comatose. We cannot get technology right until we can beat our chests that electricity is stable round the clock. Besides, Nigeria's persistent power crisis will continue to cripple its economy unless something is done urgently.

 

“Reliable supply of electricity is key to curing several ailments afflicting this country from economy to health, education, information technology, adequate security, entertainment, etc. In particular, Nigeria loses huge amounts of money in trade deficits as a result of poor power supply.

 

“According to a new report by Standard Chartered, Nigeria loses $26 billion yearly to power failures (https://businessday.ng/energy/article/nigeria-loses-26bn-annually-to-electricity-shortages-standard-chartered). Something must be done to halt this colossal waste.

 

“Nigerian youths who should be in factories are roaming the streets in search of jobs because of this same power crisis facing the country. Several companies that should provide jobs have shut down due to their inability to sustain production through heavy duty generators since power supply is inadequate (https://dailytrust.com/how-businesses-are-shutting-down-due-to-poor-power-supply-cost-of-fuel/).

 

“There is also no gainsaying the symbiotic relationship between unemployment and the proliferation of crime. There is no scintilla of doubt that constant supply of electricity is in a tripartite connection with the availability of jobs and crime rate in any society.

 

“Tuesday’s incident marked the tenth of such unfortunate failures in the power sector in 2024 alone. Coming at a time some improvement has begun to appear in the power sector, it was one collapse too many and Nigerians are beginning to suspect ineptitude, corruption or outright sabotage. Whatever it may be, Nigerians have the right to know and FG owes us a duty to find out.

 

“MURIC therefore calls on FG to beam its searchlight on the power sector. A probe of the causes of the constant collapse of the national grid is long overdue. It is now or never. Even if heads have to roll, so be it.  

 

“We want to know why the national grid cannot function properly even after FG spent a total sum of N29.3 billion to repair 266 electricity towers damaged by vandals nationwide through the Transmission Company of Nigeria (https://punchng.com/fg-spends-n29bn-to-repair-damaged-power-towers-report/).

 

“The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) cares for the welfare of Nigerians just as we do for Allah-given fundamental rights of Nigerian Muslims. Our vision of Nigeria is that of a nation enjoying technological development; where hunger is a misnomer and homelessness is an anathema; a nation where people live together in peace and harmony; a nation in which no one is oppressed; where every citizen enjoys Allah-given fundamental human rights regardless of class, creed, or ethnicity.”

 

#NationalGrid

#ProbeNationalGridCollapse

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola, 

Founder/Executive Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC