The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has accused the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, of harboring deep-seated bias against Yoruba Muslims.
MURIC made the disclosure in a statement issued on Friday by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, in response to a press release by the Ekiti State Chairman of Afenifere, Mr. Gabriel Alonge.
Alonge had earlier defended the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, over the demolition of the Sabo Central Mosque in Aramoko, Ekiti State, describing MURIC’s criticism of the act as incitement.
He also called on the Department of State Services (DSS) to place MURIC under watch.
However, Professor Akintola, in a sharp rebuttal, accused Afenifere of spreading falsehood and marginalizing Yoruba Muslims.
He insisted that Yoruba Muslims are not second-class citizens, stressing that they are integral members of the Yoruba community who deserve equal protection.
According to him, Afenifere has failed in its duty by siding with those oppressing Yoruba Muslims instead of defending their rights.
Akintola maintained that Senator Bamidele is the sponsor of the constituency project that led to the mosque’s demolition, arguing that it was impossible for the lawmaker not to have known that the structure existed on the land.
The statement reads:
“Following our statement of Monday, 7th April, 2025 captioned ‘MURIC Condemns Demolition of 2 Mosques in Ekiti’ in which we alleged that the Senate leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, knew about the demolition of Sabo Central Mosque, Aramoko, Ekiti State, the chairman of Afenifere, Ekiti State chapter, Mr. Gabriel Alonge, released a press statement yesterday, 8th April, 2025 in which he defended the Senate leader.
“The Afenifere chieftain claimed that MURIC’s allegation was an incitement. It therefore charged the Department of State Security (DSS) to monitor our activities. First and foremost, we stand by our statement and we take Afenifere’s remarks with a pinch of salt. The Senate Leader owns the constituency project for which the mosque was pulled down. It was therefore not possible for him not to know that his project would affect the mosque which was existing on the land.
“Were there no drawings for the construction? Was the owner of the constituency project not briefed by the architect? What about the project engineer? Did he not brief his client? Was there no personal visit by the Senate Leader or his aides to the site of the project? Was it an empty land? Or do we want to infer, a priori, negligence or incompetence in the execution of the project?
“Afenifere should stop defending the indefensible and allow Opeyemi Bamidele to do the needful, namely, to engage the local Muslim community in dialogue. Is that too much to ask for? Is that incitement? Afenifere is hiding behind one finger. Afenifere has taken sides by defending the demolition of the mosque. Neutrality would have been the best stand of the organization when the issue involves a religious group since Afenifere wants Nigerians to believe that it is not out to push a Christian agenda. Fact-finding, neutrality and objectivity would have promoted dialogue and subsequent mutual understanding.
“Afenifere has exposed itself as a group with vested interest by defending Opeyemi Bamidele. It is an exhibition of anti-Muslim sentiment. Afenifere appears to be happy that mosques are being demolished methodically and systematically in Ekiti State. Of course this demolition of mosques in the state has a long history. It is not a new phenomenon. It started during the first tenure of Ayodele Fayose’s administration in Ekiti, precisely in 2005 and MURIC cried out at the time. He first demolished the Old Prison Staff mosque.
“The mosque at the State Housing Estate, built by the Egbira community was the next. OkeSha mosque in Ado Ekiti was demolished in 2006 ostensibly to pave way for road dualization. In 2012, the Fayemi-led administration demolished Igbein Mosque, allegedly to avoid a clash with an idol worshippers’ shrine in the area.
“The Fayemi administration also demolished a big Hausa mosque at Atikankan to make way for another Otu shrine, relocating the Hausa community to New Shasha at the outskirts of Ado Ekiti. In the recent demolitions under discussion, two other mosques were demolished: one at Sabo, Aramoko because of a constituency project initiated by Senator Opeyemi Bamidele; the other in the same Igbein area of Ado Ekiti about six months ago. How can Islam survive in a Muslim community that loses two big mosques in six months? How can the Muslims worship freely and safely where every new regime joins the Mosque Destroyers’ Club (MDC)? The conspirators know what they are doing. There seems to be a plot among traditional and political leaders in Ekiti State in particular to eliminate Islam through multiple demolition of mosques.
“Afenifere knew about the persecution of Yoruba Muslim children in public and private schools in the region, the denial of the use of Shari’ah for Yoruba Muslims, the political marginalization, economic strangulation and social ostracisation of Muslims in the region by their Yoruba kinsmen. Has Afenifere ever defended the rights of Muslims in the land? Some Yoruba youths threatened to unleash violence on Yoruba Muslim leaders a few weeks ago over the Shari’ah panel imbroglio. It was in viral video clips but nobody heard the voice of Afenifere. An intermediary role in the saga would have proved that Afenifere is for all Yorubas regardless of religious leaning. But Afenifere looked the other way because what those youths threatened to do to Muslim leaders keyed into Afenifere’s scheme.
“Afenifere is a biased organization that operates like a cultural wing of the Christian Organisation of Nigeria (CAN) in the South West masquerading as a socio-cultural organization. Afenifere has asked the DSS to monitor the activities of MURIC. But what we know is that Afenifere cannot give DSS orders. The DSS knows its onions. Afenifere should stop being naïve. There is no notable organization that DSS does not monitor as a matter of routine, including Afenifere. So how can a group that is being monitored issue orders to those monitoring it to monitor a perceived rival group.
“Afenifere claimed that we incited Nigerians in our statement. That is a big lie from the pit of Jahannam. Nobody should take Afenifere serious after this. Our statement ended with a plea for calm among Muslims. This was in the last paragraph where we said, ‘Meanwhile we appeal to Muslims in the state to remain calm and unperturbed. Islam is a religion of peace and we expect every Muslim to be a good ambassador of his or her religion’. It can still be checked. Internet does not tell lies like Afenifere. Nigerians can see very clearly that Afenifere is looking for ways of implicating MURIC or at least, to smear our good image. But they have failed woefully. We remain undaunted. Afenifere also tried to hoodwink Nigerians by saying that the Muslims of Aramoko were happy with the demolition of their mosque because the Chief Imam was present at the commissioning of the market.
“We respectfully disagree. The Chief Imam was ‘officially present’ at the commissioning as demanded by protocol. Muslims in Aramoko complained to MURIC about the demolition of their mosque. They also issued press statements on their own. The first paragraph of one of the statements published in a newspaper on 29th March, 2025 (i.e. even before MURIC reacted at all) reads, ‘The Muslim community in Aramoko Ekiti, Ekiti West Local Government Area of Ekiti State, has raised concerns over what it described as systemic marginalization following the demolition of two of its mosques within a six-month period”.
