MURIC SLAMS US SANCTIONS ON MUSLIM LEADERS AS ‘LOPSIDED’
Read Time:3 Minute, 38 Second
By: Balogun Ibrahim
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has condemned proposed United States sanctions targeting prominent Muslim figures and organisations in Nigeria, describing the measures as “lopsided, unjust and selective.”
Last week, five US lawmakers introduced a bill seeking visa bans and asset freezes on former Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, leader of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP), as well as the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, among others.
According to PUNCH Online on Friday, MURIC Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, stated in a Thursday post on the organisation’s website that the sanctions ignore abuses committed by government officials in Southern Nigeria and by leaders of Christian militia groups in North Central Nigeria, whose actions have affected Muslim residents and travellers for decades.
The statement was titled, “US sanctions on Muslim figures in Nigeria ‘lopsided’ – MURIC.”
He said, “We view the decision of the US Congress to sanction only Muslims with skepticism. It amounts to scapegoating, preconceived judgment, and a crusade-like approach.
“Targeting Nigeria under the stated aim of protecting Christians carries implications of promoting Christianity, shielding Christian perpetrators responsible for the killing of hundreds of Muslim travellers in Plateau State, undermining Islam, persecuting Muslims, and encouraging anti-Muslim sentiment.”
Akintola emphasized that both Muslim and Christian extremists are responsible for acts of terror, adding that any sanctions should be “comprehensive and unbiased, not selective and lopsided.”
The statement read, “As a Muslim human rights group operating for 32 years since 1994, MURIC has documented proven acts of inhumanity, discrimination, marginalization, denial of religious freedom, and other rights violations committed by individual Christian state actors in Southern Nigeria, as well as criminal Christian militia groups. We are prepared to present this evidence to the US, the United Nations, or any other international body if given the opportunity.”
He further warned, “For clarity, we assert unequivocally that Christian militia groups in North Central Nigeria, well-known to state governments, have killed thousands of Muslims over past decades.
“If Northern Muslims are being targeted for sanctions, then current and former governors and officials of North Central Nigeria who have funded, enabled, or protected Christian terrorists in the region should also be prominently included on the list.”
Akintola accused the US of preferentially listening to Christian voices from Nigeria, a practice he said undermines justice and fairness.
“We suspect that US officials have historically preferred to hear Nigerian Christians while neglecting Muslim perspectives, preventing balanced representation and fairness. This explains why the US Congress frequently invites Christian activists and clergymen from Nigeria without including their Muslim counterparts—a practice contrary to the fundamental principle of justice (audi alteram partem, i.e., hear the other side),” he said.
The human rights activist also expressed alarm over what he described as “the rise of forced conversion to Christianity,” which he claimed is being facilitated by US involvement.
“As of today, February 12, 2026, we hold a palpable fear that Muslims in Nigeria have become an endangered group. For the world to believe that the US is not pursuing a recycled crusade, it must also sanction Southern Nigerian governors and their officials who:
- Deprive Muslims of fundamental human rights;
- Disenfranchise Muslims by denying them voter cards based on their Islamic dress;
- Defy court rulings and violate the rights of Muslim girls;
- Force Muslim students to attend church services or risk expulsion on university campuses;
- Deny Muslims access to public health, education, national identity cards, driving licences, and international passports by imposing dress restrictions;
- Deny employment opportunities to qualified Muslims; and
- Marginalise Muslims in political appointments in Southern states where they are a majority, particularly in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, and Osun,” Professor Ishaq Akintola said.
He added that the US must not ignore ongoing human rights abuses committed by Nigerian Christians against Muslims, noting that reports of such violations continue daily. He said key sectors like education and health in Southern Nigeria have been dominated by Christians and, according to him, “weaponized” against Muslim communities.
Akintola stressed that Nigerian Muslims have no reason to antagonize the US, pointing out the significant presence of Muslims in America, including Nigerian nationals. He urged that the US conduct thorough investigations before labeling or sanctioning law-abiding, peace-loving Nigerian Muslims, warning that such missteps could be exploited by extremist groups like Boko Haram and ISIS.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0