MURIC Demands Clarity from FG Over Alleged US Military Presence in Nigeria

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called on the Federal Government to clarify reports suggesting that United States troops are operating in Nigeria, expressing concerns over national sovereignty and the safety of Muslim leaders.

The group said it was troubled by what it described as the secrecy surrounding the reported deployment and urged authorities to be open about the scope and purpose of any foreign military presence in the country.

In a statement issued on Friday, MURIC’s Executive Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, said the organisation was uneasy with what it perceived as attempts to frame the reported mission as protection for Christians alone.

“MURIC considers this development an overreach and finds the secrecy surrounding US troop deployment to Nigeria disturbing,” he said.

“While we welcome cooperation between Nigeria and the US in the fight against terrorism, we do not think US boots on the ground are necessary,” Akintola added.

He noted that insecurity in Nigeria cuts across religious lines and cautioned against portraying the crisis as one-sided.

“We assert that there is nothing like Christian genocide in Nigeria. What we have is terrorism, insecurity and religious persecution on both sides of Christians and Muslims, and what we lack is religious tolerance,” he said.

Akintola further alleged that Muslims in parts of southern Nigeria had faced discrimination over the years and warned against selective international intervention.

“If the US should promote democratic principles of freedom of religion in Nigeria at all, it has a moral duty not to be selective but to promote freedom for both Christians and Muslims,” he said.

The MURIC leader also stated that if reports of US troops already being on Nigerian soil were true, there must be no clampdown on Muslim leaders or religious activities.

“No Muslim leader should disappear, be assassinated or rendered,” he said.

He questioned the Federal Government’s description of the reported deployment as a “small team,” calling for greater transparency.

“How ‘small’ is ‘small’? Nigerians deserve to know the scope, purpose and funding of this operation,” Akintola said.

MURIC also urged the National Assembly to demand accountability from the executive arm of government.

“What part of the cooperation between Nigeria and the US necessitates the presence of foreign troops on Nigerian soil? Was the National Assembly carried along?” he asked.

The group further appealed to civil society organisations, labour unions and student bodies to speak out on the issue.

“Silence in the face of perceived injustice only deepens division and mistrust,” Akintola warned.