By Bilesanmi Abayomi
The Osun State chapter of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has dismissed as “false and hypocritical” recent allegations from the White House, Washington D.C., accusing Nigeria of committing genocide against Christians.
In a statement signed by its chairman, Dr. Razaq Uthman, the group described the claim as “biased, unfounded, and a calculated attempt to implicate innocent Nigerian Muslims.”
According to MURIC, insurgency and terrorist attacks in Nigeria have affected citizens of all faiths, stressing that “both Christians and Muslims are victims of the same violence,” while Muslims, it claimed, “constitute the greater percentage of those killed or kidnapped.”
The organization emphasized that terrorism in Nigeria has no religious foundation, contrasting the acts of insurgents with Islamic “Rules of Engagement,” which forbid attacks on non-combatants.
“To say that Christians are the targets or that they are more affected by terrorists’ strikes is a figment of imagination,” Dr. Uthman stated.
MURIC further accused some individuals and organizations of trying to “score religious points” by seeking sympathy from foreign powers, particularly the United States. It noted that available records since 2000 show that Muslims have suffered more casualties in terrorist attacks than Christians.
The group also suggested that the “genocide narrative” may be driven by “economic advantages and media control” enjoyed by certain Christian groups in Nigeria.
Calling for unity and national responsibility, MURIC outlined several recommendations, including:
- Collective national action to eliminate terrorism.
- Respect for Nigeria’s sovereignty by both internal and external actors.
- Promotion of peaceful coexistence among religious adherents.
- Recognition that no group benefits from conflict.
- Compilation of reliable national data on victims of terrorist attacks by religion.
- Strengthened security measures to curb terrorist excesses.
Dr. Uthman reiterated that all religious communities must work together to safeguard the nation’s peace and security, emphasizing that “good neighbourliness is a value cherished in Islam and by Muslims.”
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