World press conference uncovers persecutions, deprivations of Muslims in South West Nigeria
*As Group says “silence, patience of Yoruba Muslims being wrongly interpreted as complicity, weakness
*Reveals how Ogun, others shut doors against their Muslim majority over political leadership
By SALMAH ADETONA and KEMI KASUMU
“If Donald Trump seeks to address genocide, he should direct his attention to: The ongoing genocide in Gaza, The mass killings in Palestine, The humanitarian war crimes committed by Israel. Injecting false narratives into Nigeria’s already fragile environment is irresponsible and dangerous.”
The headquarters of Muslim Rights Concerns (MURIC), on Thursday November 20, 2025, hosted six of 36 state branches from across the South West of Nigeria to a world press conference during which documentations were made of the agelong persecutions, marginalisations and deprivations Muslims in the region have faced under official circumstances for the main reason that they say “Our religion is Islam and we are Muslims”.
The world press conference was centred on exposing the “Religious Persecution of Muslims by Christian Officials in South-West Nigeria,” even as more evidences are flooding the media airspace about how it was the same Christian leaders who are conniving with international agencies to do what they wrongly accuse Muslims for – takeover of Nigeria as a Christian state.
The DEFENDER, represented among other media organisations that covered the event, reports that written reports of MURIC’s chairmen in four states of the South West namely; Lagos, Ogun, Oyo and Ondo, were received while the chairmen of Osun and Ekiti states only gave verbal reports.
Five of the states had physical representations by their chairmen namely Dr. Busari Muhammad (Lagos), Alhaji Tajudeen Jimoh (Ogun), Ambassador Ibrahim Agunbiade (Osun), Ganiyu Moruf (Ondo) and Prof Kamaldeen Sulaiman (Ekiti) but Chairman of Osun State Branch, Dr. Abdul Razaq Uthman, was unavoidably absent. He was, however, said to have sent two members from Osogbo who represented him.
Although persecution of Muslims is not new to South West region of Nigeria, non-Muslims in the Yoruba speaking region pride of being the only part of the country without religious conflicts, a claim that many religious relations experts not only fault but, according to one of them, also say, “It is because the larger population in the region who are Muslims choose to live their lives amidst all the persecutions as a silent majority.”
The revelations by the MURIC state chairmen at the world press conference on Thursday, more than ever before, not only confirmed the existence of the persecutions, marginalisations and deprivations of Muslims but also revealed those religious intolerance are too vicious to say the least.
At the press conference held at the MURIC headquarters Iba in Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State, presided over by Founder and Executive Director of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Professor Ishaq Lakin Akintola, the reports were taken on state-by-state basis for clarity purposes.
In his remarks, Professor Akintola expressed worry over what he described as rising hostility toward Muslims in the South West region.
“A lot have been killed among the Muslims in the Southwest… those who are being persecuted today face something even worse than killing, because the Qur’an says: ‘Al-fitnatu ashaddu minal qatli’ — persecution, punishment, traumatisation, victimisation, stigmatisation and discrimination are worse than killing,” Akintola said quoting Qur’anic verses to back up his statement.
He added that prolonged psychological trauma can be devastating, citing the Yoruba expression, “Ironu á má pàyan ní apàsáyé” (meaning: deep sorrow can emotionally destroy a person)”.
Ogun State
In the report of Ogun State Chapter of MURIC submitted by its Chairman, Ustadh Tajudeen Jimoh Alao, wherein he introduced the topic to members of the press present, he said, “We stand here today not as a people seeking privilege, but as a community demanding fairness; not begging for favour, but insisting on justice — justice long denied, painfully delayed, and dangerously ignored.”
He said the rights group in the state was compelled to raise its voice “because silence has become complicity, and our patience is being wrongly interpreted as weakness.”
According to Alao, “For decades, Muslims in Ogun State — and across parts of Southwest Nigeria — have endured vicious, persistent, and systemic religious persecution. This persecution is not subtle; it is bold, structured, and brazenly perpetuated by individuals entrusted with leadership.
“Today, we are here to declare firmly: Enough is Enough.”
History of marginalisation
He then went down the memory lane tracing the persecutions and marginalisations of Ogun State Muslims to political leadership between 1979 through 2025 and then reported that, “Ogun State, proudly known as the Gateway State, has ironically continued to shut its gate against its Muslim majority in political leadership.
“From 1979 to 2025, Ogun State has produced five Executive Governors,” he listed the state leadership as shared largely within a seeming strangely unfairness to Islam and Muslims, such that whereas four of the leadership positions go to Christians, only one has been occupied by Muslim.
This pattern, the Ogun State MURIC said, is neither accidental nor coincidental. “It is deliberate, calculated, and consistently maintained.”
Still on Ogun State report, the MURIC State Chairman said, “As we speak: The present Governor is a Christian, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) is a Christian, the Head of Service is a Christian, the Chief of Staff is a Christian, the Speaker of the House of Assembly is a Christian and Chief Judge of Ogun State is a Christian” in a nation where human representation dictates how people’s rights are defended and protected.
He also assessed the state of 20 Local Government Areas of Ogun State and pointed out the deeply rooted injustice perpetrated by religious people with less number having 18 Local Government Chairmen to themselves as Christians against the Muslim majority usually left with only two, who are also said to be “nominal Muslims, often without meaningful influence”.
Alao then asked, “If this is not religious bias… If this is not structural persecution… If this is not systemic injustice… Then what is it?”
He said, “Ogun State Muslims will no longer remain silent while leadership continues to exclude an entire community from representation. Democracy thrives on inclusion, not discrimination.”
He also looked at persecution that Muslims are subjected to in education and the school system, saying “Education – the bedrock of societal progress — has tragically become another arena where anti-Muslim sentiment is openly demonstrated in Ogun State.”
Hijab persecution
Hijab wearing is also a major area that Muslims are said to face persecution to the extent that in a neighbouring state of Kwara, those who persecute Muslim female students for wearing hijab did not feel constrained to kill, by proxy, a Muslim who joined in lawful pro-hijab protest and up till today, Christian leaders in the state has continued to disrupt the means for the bereaved Muslim Ummah and family to get justice.
“Our Muslim female students are insulted, harassed, and psychologically intimidated simply because they choose to obey Allah by wearing the hijab.
“In many public schools: Students are compelled to remove their hijab, Teachers openly ridicule the Islamic identity of our daughters, Muslim girls are denied entry into classrooms unless they compromise their modesty. This is not just discrimination — it is spiritual and emotional violence.
Suppression of Islamic Education
“Ogun State cannot claim to be a centre of enlightenment while suppressing the religious rights of one of its largest communities,” he said.
“Islamic Religious Knowledge (IRK), Arabic studies, and foundational Islamic education have been deliberately weakened. We have documented cases where: Qualified Arabic/IRK teachers are reassigned to unrelated subjects, Islamic education is relegated to the background, Muslim students are denied adequate access to Islamic instruction. These actions constitute a deliberate attempt to distort or erase the Islamic identity of the next generation.
“Ogun State cannot claim to be a centre of enlightenment while suppressing the religious rights of one of its largest communities,” he said.
Employment bias
Employment bias and opportunity discrimination, he said “Recruitment processes across state parastatals, ministries, agencies, and sensitive government offices reveal a disturbing pattern: Muslims are systematically excluded.
“Christians dominate recruitment panels, interview boards, and final selection committees — and unsurprisingly, the outcomes overwhelmingly favour their religious constituency.
“This is not meritocracy. This is not fairness. This is institutionalised religious discrimination,” it was said.
Christian genocide
On the alleged “Christian genocide” comment in Nigeria, MURIC said, “We must also address the controversial and politically motivated statement made by American President Donald Trump regarding an alleged “Christian genocide” in Nigeria.
“Let it be stated clearly and unequivocally: Donald Trump’s claims are baseless, misleading, and driven by political motives.
“Nigeria’s challenges revolve around complex interactions of politics, ethnicity, land disputes, criminality, and weak governance — not a targeted genocide against Christians.
“If Donald Trump seeks to address genocide, he should direct his attention to: The ongoing genocide in Gaza, The mass killings in Palestine, The humanitarian war crimes committed by Israel. Injecting false narratives into Nigeria’s already fragile environment is irresponsible and dangerous.
A call for justice, equity, and peace
“The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) Ogun State Chapter is not seeking dominance. We are not requesting privileges above others. What we demand is equity, justice, balanced representation, and respect for constitutional rights.
“We call on the Ogun State Government to: 1. Ensure fair representation of Muslims in political appointments. 2. End the persecution of hijab-wearing students with immediate effect. 3. Stop the intimidation and misuse of Arabic and IRK teachers. 4. Strengthen Islamic education at the primary and secondary levels. 5. Guarantee equal employment opportunities for qualified Muslims”
The Ogun State MURIC report also called for and action to “6. Address systemic discrimination within local government leadership structures.”
“Let peace reign — but peace cannot and will never exist where injustice thrives.
We pray that Almighty Allah strengthens us, guides our speech, purifies our intentions, and makes this struggle a form of worship and a path toward justice for the entire Ummah. May Allah accept our efforts as acts of ‘ibādah,” the considered report signed by Ustadh Tajudeen Jimoh Alao, Chairman, MURIC Ogun State Chapter.
Lagos State
From the all the reports submitted, The DEFENDER can authoritatively report that there is practically no distinguishing between the experience of persecutions, marginalisations and deprivations faced by Muslims in Ogun State and in other states across the Ngbati states of the South West region.
This is as report from Lagos State MURIC tallies with that of Ogun and others. Presenting his own side of the reports, Chairman Lagos State MURIC, Dr. Busari Jamiu Muhammad, who described the supposed Centre of Excellence as a cosmopolitan state of over 24 million residents with a historical Muslim presence dating back over four centuries, however wondered that despite this historical facts and empirical evidence, Muslims in Lagos State continue to face discrimination across political, administrative, educational, social, and economic sectors.
He raised concerns over what he called imbalances in political appointments, alleging that key offices—such as commissioners, permanent secretaries and local government administrators—are dominated by Christians.
He said this imbalance “undermines fairness and inclusiveness” in a state with the larger population accounted for by Muslims.
Oyo State
Oyo State is another state that has institutionalised religious discrimination against mainly Islam and Muslims, according to MURIC, pointing out that any good towards a Muslim is personal.
In its report presented by Ambassador Ibrahim Agunbiade, its Secretary Oyo State Chapter, MURIC presented a report detailing several cases of alleged persecution of Muslims in the state.
Hijab
The report alleged that Muslim female students in state-owned public missionary schools are being forced to remove their hijabs, with some teachers seizing the hijabs permanently. Despite official complaints and government directives, several school principals reportedly refused to comply.
Violation of Supreme Court ruling
MURIC accused many schools in Oyo State of disobeying the Supreme Court’s ruling affirming the right of Muslim girls to wear hijab.
The organisation alleges that the state government has not taken adequate steps to enforce compliance.
Contradiction of National Education Policy
According to the report, while national education bodies mandate the teaching of Islamic Studies, Christian Religious Studies and History in all schools, only a few institutions in Oyo State currently teach Islamic Studies. MURIC described this as a policy reversal that limits Muslim students’ access to knowledge of their faith.
Covert conversion of Muslim Students
The report also raised serious concerns about alleged covert attempts to convert Muslim students under the pretense of “empowerment programmes,” which reportedly lead students to evangelical gatherings.
Political appointments
MURIC expressed dissatisfaction with what it describes as Muslim underrepresentation in government. An example cited is the appointment of ten Christian commissioners and six Muslims, which the group considers unbalanced.
The conference was attended, aside Professor Is-haq Akintola, by Islamic scholars, regional representatives, and MURIC officials from across the South West, including Sheikh Abdul Rahman Ahmad, National Missional of the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Alhaji AbdulFatah AbdulMojeed Imran Eleha, Dr. Busari Jamiu Muhammad, Chairman, MURIC Lagos State, Ustadh Jimoh Tajudeen Alao, Chairman, MURIC Ogun State, Ambassador Ibrahim Agunbiade, Secretary Oyo State MURIC, Mallam Ganiyu Maruf Babatunde representing Ondo State, Prof. K. O. Sulaimon of Ekiti State and Comrade Lamidi Olalekan representing Osun State.
