The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has accused Nigerian Christian leaders of leveraging the United States as an instrument of intimidation to pressure the Federal Government and marginalize Muslims across the country.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, alleged that certain Christian leaders were behind recent reports sent to the U.S. government describing the situation in Nigeria as “Christian genocide.”
Akintola claimed that these reports were deliberately forwarded to the U.S.—which he described as a “Christian superpower”—instead of African institutions such as the African Union (AU) or the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
According to him, the move underscores “a deeper agenda of neo-imperial domination and religious favoritism” aimed at securing undue advantages for Christians in Nigeria.
“We have followed the current controversy over the allegation that only Christians are being killed in Nigeria with deep concern,” he said. “Nigerian Muslims also suffer killings, often in larger numbers, but their plight goes unreported because global narratives are controlled by a Christo-Western media.”
Akintola emphasized that both Muslims and Christians have been victims of terrorism, noting that extremist attacks target crowded areas such as churches and mosques.
“This explains why the main victims in Christian-concentrated states like Benue and Plateau are Christians, while those in Muslim-dominated areas like Sokoto and Zamfara are Muslims. While about 200 churches were destroyed across the North, no fewer than 6,000 mosques were also demolished in the same region,” he added.
MURIC also accused authorities of ignoring systemic marginalization of Muslims in southern Nigeria, alleging that both state and federal governments have failed to address their grievances.
The group further accused sections of the Nigerian media of religious bias, claiming they amplify the killings of Christians while downplaying those of Muslims.
“The media amplifies Christian deaths but trivializes Muslim casualties. Christian victims are clearly identified, but when Muslims are killed, the reports use vague terms like ‘worshippers’ or ‘audience,’” Akintola stated.
He argued that the recent reports sent to the U.S. were part of a coordinated attempt to “arm-twist” the Nigerian government into granting “undeserved political and economic favours” to Christians.
“The U.S. has a long record of bullying Muslim nations, and Nigerian Christians are now hiding under its umbrella to achieve domination,” MURIC claimed, referencing America’s support for Israel and its involvement in global conflicts.
“It is moral bankruptcy to report Nigeria to America, least of all to former President Donald Trump. How can a country that funds genocidal wars sit in judgment over another?” Akintola queried.
MURIC also accused Christian-owned media outlets of excluding Muslim voices from public discourse, saying such practices “undermine professionalism and fairness in journalism.”
The organization warned that the alleged campaign could inflame religious divisions and threaten Nigeria’s fragile peace.
“It is now very clear that Nigerian Muslims have become pawns in a dangerous global power game. The terrorists attack them from one side, the government marginalizes them from another, and powerful Christian nations are waiting at the centre,” Akintola said.
He urged the Federal Government to resist what he called “Christian blackmail gimmicks,” stressing that “it is a false and divisive claim that only Christians are being killed in Nigeria.”
“If unchecked,” he warned, “this narrative could render our dream of national unity and peaceful coexistence a mere illusion.”
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