The Christian Rights Agenda CRA, has called on the Federal government to immediately arrest and prosecute leaders of Muslims Rights Concern, MURIC, over its alleged links with the international terrorists organization Islamic State of West African Province ISWAP.
Last Friday, a member of the Sahara Strategy Group, (SSG) had asked the Nigerian Government to probe reports that some organisations in Nigeria like MURIC led by Professor Ishaq Akintola are receiving funds from ISWAP which has recently been operating in the North West.
At a conference held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on Friday, San Lous Keita a member of the SSG from Mali and former Intelligence Chief said reports available to the intelligence community in West Africa listed MURIC as one of the groups that has received funds from ISWAP in the last two years.
Keita had told the conference that MURIC was said to have received some 250, 000 dollars from ISWAP in the past months alleging that the funds were meant for MURIC to recruit and train people in the South West that would provide the logistics needed for ISWAP proposed stronghold on Southern Nigeria.
The CRA said it is not surprised by this revelation about MURIC’s rumored links with the terrorists organisation.
Over the years, CRA alleged that MURIC has been fanning the embers of religious bigotry through provocative and inciting statements.
CRA, therefore, in its statement called on the government to proscribe MURIC and prosecute its leaders.
“Now that the truth about MURIC, it’s operations, missions and sources of funding have been discovered, it is time for the Nigerian authorities to act and bring to an end the existence of this organization and its leaders prosecuted.
“Nigeria cannot afford to turn a blind eye to this damning revelations about the alleged activities of MURIC as allowing them to continue will portend grave danger for the peace, stability and unity of Nigeria.
The war against terrorism and insurgency cannot be won without bringing to an end the nefarious activities of organizations with links to terrorism, the CRA statement claimed.
It would be recalled that a group under the aegis of Coalition of Progressive Yoruba Islamic Groups (COPYIG) had accused MURIC DG of desperately working to destabilize Yorubaland and spur the region into inter-religious conflict.
However, earlier in the day, Prof Ishaq Akintola, in a statement refuting the allegations had said:
“We have no connection with ISWAP, ISIS or Al-Qaedah. We have always condemned terrorism and violence. We have also organised several programmes on the subject. It is impossible. The terrorists know their friends. They can never offer any money to MURIC. Our ways are not their ways. We hate violence. They love it. We respect women and adore children. They kidnap women and abuse them. We promote education and civilization. Terrorists destroy schools and cities. It is paradoxical that anybody can link us with such groups.
“We appeal to the Federal Government to investigate the source of this information. MURIC has never been involved in any international activity. We deliberately restricted ourselves to the Nigerian environment in order to avoid complications. We have enough on our hands within the country. So how can a former intelligence chief from far away Mali show interest in us? This smirks of fake news sponsored by those interested in getting MURIC out of the way.
“In our final remarks, we urge our detractors to desist from their evil ways and pursue the path of honour. We urge them to drop threats of assassination. It cannot deter us from the path of honour which we have chosen. They should also stop using non-existent Islamic organisations and fictitious names to attack us. It is the way of people who have no conscience or moral values.
“They think that it is actually MURIC or its Director who are at work but it is Allah Himself who is defending Nigerian Muslims. He is only using us. They will continue to fail as long as their ways are luciferous. Almighty Allah has a message for them:
يُرِيدُونَ أَن يُطْفِئُوا نُورَ اللَّهِ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَيَأْبَى اللَّهُ إِلَّا أَن يُتِمَّ نُورَهُ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَافِرُونَ
They wish to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths but Allah will complete His light even if the unbelievers object to it (Qur’an 9:32