Rights Group Seeks Clarification On US Troops In Nigeria

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has requested clarifications over the presence of American troops in Nigeria.

In a statement made available to journalists, the group’s founder, Prof Ishaq Akintola, expressed concern for the safety of Muslim leaders in particular and the sovereignty of Nigeria in general.

It interrogated the US goal of protecting Nigerian Christians and also called on Nigerian leaders to take hold of the nation’s destiny.

It noted that the United States of America confirmed three days ago that its troops were already on ground in Nigeria which the federal government also confirmed later on the same day.

It added that although the Defence Minister, General Christopher Musa, later said they were ‘not combat forces’, the development is considered as an overreach, adding that the secrecy surrounding US troop deployment to Nigeria is disturbing.

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

In the first place, we regard it as a discriminatory, and selective response of the US to the question of religious persecution in Nigeria.

“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.

“For greater clarity, Muslims in Southern Nigeria have been suffering from religious persecution in the hands of their Christian compatriots for decades if not centuries.

“These persecutions are legendary although the Nigerian authorities have turned deaf ears to their cries to date. But Southern Muslims have not taken it upon themselves to falsely accuse their Christian counterparts of ‘Muslim genocide’.

“The case of terrorism and other issues of insecurity are another cup of tea and it affects Nigerians of all faiths. It therefore beggars belief that America, a nation regarded as the champion of democracy, freedom and equal rights will descend on Nigeria to selectively fight or ‘protect’ one group.

“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 who are in captivity. There should be no selective solutions to religious persecution anywhere in the world.

“If, therefore, it is true that US troops are already on ground in Nigeria, we demand that there should be no clampdown on religious activities of Muslims or on Muslim leaders. No Muslim leader should disappear or be assassinated and no renditions.”