The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has expressed serious concern over what it described as the exclusion of Islamic perspectives from the ongoing debate on alleged Christian genocide in Nigeria. In a statement released on Saturday, MURIC Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, argued that both print and electronic media have “excluded Islamic scholars in particular and Nigerian Muslims in general” from the conversation, calling the coverage “one-sided and unprofessional.”
According to Akintola, “The Muslims are being framed. Worse still, they are gagged by the press. They are voiceless, oppressed and repressed… The question on our lips is: when will the media hear from the Muslims?”
He warned that most media outlets have drifted away from balance and fairness, insisting that Muslims are being unfairly portrayed without being given the opportunity to respond to allegations. “The public only hears one side of the story because it is those who allege alone that are invited. What of the Muslim side? Are there no Muslims in this country? Are there no Islamic scholars who can be invited to air their own views?” he questioned.
Okay News reports that MURIC criticized media platforms for giving Christian clerics “unlimited opportunities” to make allegations while denying Muslims a platform to counter these claims. The group cited a November 10 interview with Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo on News Central TV, highlighting that no Muslim scholar from the same area was invited to respond.
Akintola also pointed out that Muslims, particularly in the North West and North East, where terrorist attacks frequently occur, remain victims whose experiences are underreported. “At least the whole world knows that those being killed by the terrorists in Sokoto, Borno, Katsina, Zamfara, Kano, Kebbi, Yobe, etc, are Muslims,” he noted.
Accusing the media of fostering bias against Islam, Akintola warned: “The Nigerian press is poisoning the minds of the general public… against Islam and its followers. This is very dangerous because we all know that incitement can lead to riots.” He called on regulatory bodies such as the National Broadcasting Commission, Nigerian Press Council, and Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria to intervene and ensure fair coverage.
This statement comes after the United States, under President Donald Trump, designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” on October 31, 2025, citing religious freedom violations. The designation has intensified public debate over attacks on Christians and the issue of whether a Christian genocide is ongoing, which the Christian Association of Nigeria continues to assert.
