MURIC condemns proposed US sanctions on Nigerian Muslim figures as “lopsided”
By KEMI KASUMU
Akintola also expressed concern over what he described as a pattern of U.S. engagement with Nigerian Christian leaders without equivalent consultations with Muslim representatives. He urged U.S. authorities to apply the principle of fairness by hearing all sides before taking action.
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has criticized a proposed bill by five United States lawmakers seeking to impose sanctions on certain Nigerian individuals and groups, describing the move as “lopsided, unjust and selective.”
The proposed legislation reportedly recommends visa bans and asset freezes on a former Governor of Kano State and National Leader of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP), Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, as well as the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, among others.
In a press release issued on Thursday, MURIC’s Founder and Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, said the sanctions unfairly target Muslim figures while ignoring alleged violations by Christian groups and officials in other parts of the country.
Akintola argued that if sanctions are to be imposed, they should be comprehensive and cover individuals and groups across Nigeria who are implicated in religious violence or violations of fundamental rights, regardless of faith. He alleged that some government officials in Southern Nigeria and certain militia groups in North Central Nigeria have been responsible for acts of persecution and violence against Muslims and should also be investigated.
“We affirm that there is denial of religious freedom and religious extremism in Nigeria,” Akintola said. “But the culprits include extremists among both Christians and Muslims. Any sanction regime must therefore be objective, balanced and nationwide in scope.”
The group, which says it has operated since 1994, claimed it has documented cases of discrimination, marginalization and denial of religious freedom affecting Muslims, particularly in parts of Southern Nigeria. MURIC expressed readiness to present such records to international bodies, including the United States and the United Nations, if given the opportunity.
Akintola also expressed concern over what he described as a pattern of U.S. engagement with Nigerian Christian leaders without equivalent consultations with Muslim representatives. He urged U.S. authorities to apply the principle of fairness by hearing all sides before taking action.
While stating that Nigerian Muslims have no hostility toward the United States, MURIC called for further investigation before sanctions are imposed on what it described as “law-abiding and peace-loving Nigerian Muslims.”
The organization warned that selective sanctions could heighten tensions and called on the international community to adopt a balanced approach in addressing religious conflict and human rights issues in Nigeria.
