WHY IS THERE NO FREE TRAIN RIDE FOR SALAH? - MURIC

 

MUSLIM RIGHTS CONCERN (MURIC)

‎هيئة حقوق المسلمين

‎Motto: Dialogue, Not Violence

‎‎25^th May, 2026

‎‎PRESS RELEASE:

‎‎WHY IS THERE NO FREE TRAIN RIDE FOR SALAH? - MURIC

‎‎The Federal Government (FG) has been taken to task over the absence of free train services for this 2026 Salah ('Id al-kabiir).

‎‎Raising the question on Monday, 25th May, 2026 was the Executive Director of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Professor Ishaq Akintola. In a statement captioned 'Why Is There No Free Train Ride For Salah?', MURIC sought to know why free train, which is always offered during Christmas, is not available for Salah.

‎‎The group ascribed this to preferential treatment and concluded that all shadows of doubts concerning FG's discriminatory stance will be removed if another free train is offered during Christmas in December 2026.

‎‎The statement continued:

‎‎"We have observed that the Federal Government (FG) has not announced any free train ride for this 2026 Salah ('Id al-kabiir) which will be marked from Wednesday 27th May to Friday, 29th May, 2026.

‎‎"We waited patiently until Monday evening before issuing this statement. The Salah festival is just 48 hours away and there has been no announcement yet as far as we know as at 8.39 pm.

‎‎"Instead of free train rides, what FG has announced is increased train services of six trips per day for Salah (https://leadership.ng/nrc-to-operate-6-train-trips-on-lagos-ibadan-for-sallah/).

‎‎"However, as indicated in the reference above, Osun State government announced free train services as a continuation of the Rauf Aregbesola tradition. We give kudos to the government of Osun State for this.

‎‎"We are grossly disappointed by FG's attitude on this issue. Free train rides have been offered by FG for the past three years during Christmas and Easter. Sometimes the free rides last more than a week (https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/761753-updated-christmas-nigerian-govt-announces-free-train-ride-for-15-days.html;

‎https://www.vanguardngr.com/2026/03/easter-nrc-rolls-out-special-train-services-free-ride-on-lagos-osogbo-corridor/amp/;).

‎‎"Is this proper? Why is there no free train for Salah while Christmas and Easter are always favoured. What is FG trying to tell us?

‎‎"Interestingly enough, this is not the first time MURIC will complain about this discriminatory practice. We have complained before and internet has not forgotten. We complained in June 2025 yet nothing has changed. (https://punchng.com/muric-accuses-fg-of-religious-bias-over-free-train-rides/).

‎‎"Is FG trying to provoke Nigerian Muslims? It looks very much like it. If that is so, we are here to interrogate this act of neglect of the interest of Muslims.

‎‎"All shadows of doubts concerning FG's discriminatory stance will be removed if another free train is offered during Christmas in December 2026 after failing to do the same for Salah in May 2026. It will then become very glaring that FG has really decided to throw Nigerian Muslims under the bus.

‎‎"FG rushes to please Nigerian Christians but treats the Muslims like third class citizens. This attitude constitutes a threat to the sense of belonging of Muslims. It challenges the unity of the country and pokes fingers of arrogance at the chest of interfaith relationship.

‎‎"For the avoidance of doubts, we are fully aware that free train ride is not a right. It is a privilege. But why was it started if it cannot be objectively applied? Why do it for Christians if it will not be done for Muslims? Why do it for Christmas if it will not be done for Salah? December 2026 is just around the corner."

‎‎#FederalGovernment

‎#NRC

‎#FreeTrain

‎#LikeChristmasLikeSalah

‎

‎Professor Ishaq Akintola,

‎Founder/Executive Director,

‎Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).

 

PRIMARIES: MURIC CONGRATULATES HAMZAT, OTHERS ACROSS PARTIES

 

MUSLIM RIGHTS CONCERN (MURIC)*

‎هيئة حقوق المسلمين

‎Motto: Dialogue, Not Violence

‎‎22^nd May, 2026

‎‎PRESS RELEASE:

‎

‎PRIMARIES: MURIC CONGRATULATES HAMZAT, OTHERS ACROSS PARTIES

‎

‎The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has congratulated the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, who emerged governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State yesterday.

‎‎In the congratulatory message signed by the Executive Director of the civil liberties organization, Professor Ishaq Akintola on Friday, 22^nd May, 2026, the group also felicitated with all successful candidates at all levels of the primary elections regardless of their political, religious or ethnic leanings.

‎‎According to MURIC:

‎‎"Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat yesterday emerged as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State. 

‎‎"He emerged after scaling through rigorous screening by party officials and winning the election's primary. According to the Returning Officer, retired General Jonathan Temlong, Dr. Hamzat polled 657,917 votes to defeat his rival, Olanrewaju Jim-Kamal, who secured one vote only (https://www.channelstv.com/2026/05/21/hamzat-emerges-lagos-apc-governorship-candidate-with-657917-votes/amp/).

‎‎"Two other candidates, Abdul-Azeez Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, and Samuel Ajose, had earlier withdrawn from the race.

‎‎MURIC heartily congratulates Dr. Kadir Obafemi Hamzat for this great feat. We look forward to its replication at the 2027 general elections.

‎‎"MURIC appreciates the endorsements of Dr. Hamzat by APC party leaders as well as the unreserved blessing of his candidature by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

‎‎"In the same vein, we felicitate with all candidates who won their primaries whether at governorship, senatorial or other levels. Your victories are fruits of your labour.

"Meanwhile we reaffirm our earlier position that there is no desertification of expertise in Islamdom. Highly skilled Muslims exist in all fields of human endeavour.

‎‎"Nigerian kingmakers and political godfathers should therefore stop looking for competent individuals who can be governors, lawmakers, ministers, commissioners, heads of agencies, etc among Christians alone.

‎‎"We are not allergic to Christians emerging candidates or presidents, governors, etc but monopoly of public offices by Christians under the excuse of searching for competence must be avoided.

‎‎"The emergence of Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat as the eminently qualified gubernatorial candidate of the APC in Lagos State after rigorous screening and a seamless and credible primary election, bears eloquent testimony to our position.

‎‎"More testimonies of the brilliance and high competence of Muslims abound in the excellent performance of Muslims in public office around the country.

‎‎"Professor Ishaq Oloyede has left an indellible mark on the sand of time in JAMB. In like manner, Professor Ibrahim Ali Isa Pantami laid a solid foundation at the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy. Their records will be difficult to break for a long time. It is noteworthy that both were, essentially, Islamic scholars, which adds more lustre to their laurels."

‎‎#CongratsHamzat

‎#MuslimCandidatesMatterToo

‎#CongratsPrimaryWinners

‎

‎Professor Ishaq Akintola,

‎Founder/Executive Director,

‎Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).

 

WE REJECT MAKINDE'S CHRISTIAN SUCCESSOR – MURIC

 

MUSLIM RIGHTS CONCERN (MURIC)

‎هيئة حقوق المسلمين

‎Motto: Dialogue, Not Violence

‎19^th May, 2026

‎PRESS RELEASE:

‎

‎WE REJECT MAKINDE'S CHRISTIAN SUCCESSOR – MURIC

 

‎‎An Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has rejected the candidate endorsed by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State. 

‎‎The group argued that Makinde is acting a religious script to oppress Oyo State Muslims by attempting to coronate a Christian as his successor who will spend another eight years after Makinde himself, a Christian, has spent eight gruesome years of Christianisation and suppression of Islam in the state.

‎‎In a statement circulated to pressmen on Tuesday, 19th May, 2026, the Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, accused Governor Makinde of diverting all the milk and honey in Oyo State to the Christians while Muslims wallowed in abject poverty. 

‎‎"It is turn by turn", Akintola insisted. "Seyi Makinde, a Christian governor, has spent eight years in office. He has no right to annoint another Christian as his successor. Christian monopoly of governance must be stopped in Yorubaland.

‎‎"We have a convention. If a Muslim spends eight years in office, a Christian should succeed him. It is so vice versa. Why does Makinde want to change that unwritten protocol? It is the turn of the Muslims. Makinde should not ignite a religious crisis in Oyo State.

‎‎"We charge Muslim leaders in the state to resist this imposition with every legitimate means at their disposal. Muslims have the population. They pay the highest tax. But Makinde has turned them into 3rd class citizens. Why should Muslims hold the horns of the cow while the Christians milk it?

‎‎"If Makinde thinks Muslims in the state have forgotten his anti-Muslim antics, then he has got another thing coming. The list of his atrocities against Muslims is longer than the Nile. But we will not mention them now.  They will remain in the cooler until he starts seeking Muslim votes for his presidential joke."

‎‎#OyoForMuslimGovernor

‎#NoToMakindeChristianSuccessor

‎

‎Professor Ishaq Akintola,

‎Founder/Executive Director,

‎Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).

‎

 

‎

‎

‎

 

 

PRIMARIES: MURIC CONGRATULATES HAMZAT, OTHERS ACROSS PARTIES

 

MUSLIM RIGHTS CONCERN (MURIC)

‎هيئة حقوق المسلمين

‎Motto: Dialogue, Not Violence

‎

18^th May, 2026

‎

‎PRESS RELEASE:

‎

‎VIOLATION OF EL-RUFAI'S RIGHTS DEPLORABLE - MURIC TELLS ICPC

‎

‎One of the wives of the former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has accused the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) of disallowing her from giving her husband his food. El-Rufai's son, Hon. Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, has also corroborated the allegation.

‎

‎Reacting to this development, a Nigerian civil liberties group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) in a press release circulated to the media by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola on Monday, 18^th May, 2026, described the situation as deplorable, unjustifiable and unacceptable.

‎

‎MURIC said:

‎

‎"We are in possession of a viral video in which one of the wives of the former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai accused the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) of disallowing her from giving her husband his food (https://leadership.ng/el-rufais-wife-accuses-icpc-of-blocking-family-access-to-detained-husband/).

‎

‎El-Rufai's son, Hon. Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, has also corroborated the allegation (https://dailypost.ng/2026/05/16/you-have-continued-to-violate-my-fathers-rights-el-rufai-tells-icpc/).

‎

‎"If found to be true, it means ICPC is using starvation as a weapon to force Mallam El-Rufai to do things against his free will.  It is Gestapo tactics. It constitutes a blatant violation of El-Rufai's Allah-given fundamental human right. It is deplorable, unjustifiable and unacceptable.

‎

‎"Nigerians will not accept Gestapo treatment from ICPC or any government agency under any guise. 

‎

‎"It is therefore mandatory on ICPC to speak up on the matter. We need urgent explanations.  Does ICPC intend to stint El-Rufai of food? Do they plan to starve him to death? Or is ICPC's 'choice of food' for El-Rufai on the table and for what cassu belli?

‎

‎"Whichever way the pendulum swings, nothing must happen to El-Rufai. Nigerians saw him looking as fit as a fiddle the day he walked inside EFCC office to surrender himself. His family doctor knows his health condition. El-Rufai must not develop any strange ailment in ICPC facility.

‎

‎"MURIC charges the media and civil society to speak up on the ongoing tribulations of Mallam El-Rufai. It is a duty to do so and a dereliction to look the other way. Posterity will judge where you stand"

‎

‎#JusticeForElRufai

‎#NoToICPCGestapoTactics

‎

‎Professor Ishaq Akintola,

‎Founder/Executive Director,

‎Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).

 

PRIMARIES: MURIC CONGRATULATES HAMZAT, OTHERS ACROSS PARTIES

MUSLIM RIGHTS CONCERN (MURIC)

‎هيئة حقوق المسلمين

‎Motto: Dialogue, Not Violence

‎

18^th May, 2026

‎

‎PRESS RELEASE:

‎VIOLATION OF EL-RUFAI'S RIGHTS DEPLORABLE - MURIC TELLS ICPC

‎

‎One of the wives of the former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has accused the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) of disallowing her from giving her husband his food. El-Rufai's son, Hon. Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, has also corroborated the allegation.

‎

‎Reacting to this development, a Nigerian civil liberties group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) in a press release circulated to the media by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola on Monday, 18^th May, 2026, described the situation as deplorable, unjustifiable and unacceptable.

‎

‎MURIC said:

‎

‎"We are in possession of a viral video in which one of the wives of the former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai accused the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) of disallowing her from giving her husband his food (https://leadership.ng/el-rufais-wife-accuses-icpc-of-blocking-family-access-to-detained-husband/).

‎

‎El-Rufai's son, Hon. Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, has also corroborated the allegation (https://dailypost.ng/2026/05/16/you-have-continued-to-violate-my-fathers-rights-el-rufai-tells-icpc/).

‎

‎"If found to be true, it means ICPC is using starvation as a weapon to force Mallam El-Rufai to do things against his free will.  It is Gestapo tactics. It constitutes a blatant violation of El-Rufai's Allah-given fundamental human right. It is deplorable, unjustifiable and unacceptable.

‎

‎"Nigerians will not accept Gestapo treatment from ICPC or any government agency under any guise. 

‎

‎"It is therefore mandatory on ICPC to speak up on the matter. We need urgent explanations.  Does ICPC intend to stint El-Rufai of food? Do they plan to starve him to death? Or is ICPC's 'choice of food' for El-Rufai on the table and for what cassu belli?

‎

‎"Whichever way the pendulum swings, nothing must happen to El-Rufai. Nigerians saw him looking as fit as a fiddle the day he walked inside EFCC office to surrender himself. His family doctor knows his health condition. El-Rufai must not develop any strange ailment in ICPC facility.

‎

‎"MURIC charges the media and civil society to speak up on the ongoing tribulations of Mallam El-Rufai. It is a duty to do so and a dereliction to look the other way. Posterity will judge where you stand"

‎

‎#JusticeForElRufai

‎#NoToICPCGestapoTactics

‎

‎Professor Ishaq Akintola,

‎Founder/Executive Director,

‎Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).

 

OTTA ATTACK: JUSTICE MUST PREVAIL - MURIC

 

MUSLIM RIGHTS CONCERN (MURIC)

‎هيئة حقوق المسلمين

‎Motto: Dialogue, Not Violence

14^th May, 2026

‎‎PRESS RELEASE:

‎OTTA ATTACK: JUSTICE MUST PREVAIL - MURIC

‎

‎A human rights group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has demanded justice over the vicious attack on Muslims in Oko Filling, Ijagba, Ota, Ogun State where one person is lying critically ill in hospital after sustaining matchet cuts on the head. 

‎

‎In a statement issued late Thursday evening, 14^th May, 2026, the Executive Director of the civil liberties organization, Professor Ishaq Akintola, called on the Itele police division in Ota to rigorously pursue the case until justice prevails. 

‎

‎The full statement reads:

‎

‎"Members of Muslim communities of Oko Filling, Ijagba, Ota, Ogun State, were attacked today, Thursday, 14^th May, 2026 when they attempted to mount CCTV cameras and solar security lights at the Muslim cemetery in Oko Filling. 

‎

‎"The attackers came wielding dangerous weapons. They also came with two wild dogs that were barking ferociously. Their would be victims ran into the bush but one of them, Al-Hilal, was unlucky.  They caught up with him and dealt him severe blows on the head with their cutlasses. It was a horrible scene. He was drenched in his own blood. Al-Hilal is now between life and death in the hospital. 

‎

‎"MURIC commends the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Itele Police Station for his prompt action. All the officers at the station also deserve encomiums for their gallantry as they confronted the assailants and arrested them.

‎

‎"We appeal to the police to continue to perform their duties diligently. They should not allow any external forces to sweep the case under the carpet. It should be noted that human life is involved as Al-Hilal lies critically ill in the hospital.

‎

‎"A case of premeditated attack and assault with grievous harm must not be treated with kids' gloves. Criminally minded people must be taught the lesson of their lives.

‎

‎"Criminality thrives when attackers like this circumvent the rules and go scot free. These men must be prosecuted. They must face the full wrath of the law. Nigerians want to see their faces in court. On the rule of law we stand. Justice must prevail."

‎

‎#JusticeForAlhilal

‎#RuleOfLaw

‎

‎Professor Ishaq Akintola, 

‎Founder/Executive Director, 

‎Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).