15 Islamic groups back MURIC coordinator, Prof Akintola over extremist accusation

A collation of Islamic groups on Sunday backed the coordinator of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola over extremist allegation made against him by one Mukhtar Okunade  under the aegis of Coalition of Progressive Yoruba Islamic Groups.
In a press statement on Sunday jointly signed by their representatives, Alliance for the Protection of Yoruba Muslims (APYM), National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations (NACOMYO), Federation of Muslim Women Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN), Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN), The Muslim Congress (TMC), Muslims in National Development (MIND), Muslim Public Affairs Center (MPAC), Markaz al-Dawah, Risalatul Haq Dawah Society International, Association of Muslim Crosscheckers of Nigeria, Federation of Ahlu Sunna of Nigeria, Jamaatu Izalat al-Bid’ah wa Iqamatus-Sunnah (Lagos State Branch), Jama’at Taawunil Muslimeen, Nigeria, Conference of Islamic Organisations, Nurudeen Society of Nigeria and Muslim Lawyers Association of Nigeria (Lagos Chapter) all condemned the action and reiterated support for Akintola.
Part of the statement read:
Our attention has been drawn to a press statement credited to a self-styled National Coordinator of a faceless Coalition of Progressive Yoruba Islamic Groups in which one Mukhtar described our brother, Prof. Ishaq Akintola as “an extremist and a sadist”. We are abashed by the gargantuan ignorance of Mukhtar Okunade who was not only beclouded by ethnic sentimentality but also writing a script for some faceless groups in defaming the character and personality of a renowned Professor of Islamic Studies.
We categorically disown this statement. We know Akintola as an erudite Islamic scholar, Professor of Islamic Studies, a human rights activist and Director of Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC). We call the attention of Nigerians to the anomalies in the statement issued by the fake coalition.
Firstly, only one person issued the statement because the name of only one person was mentioned. How can only one person write for a coalition of organisations? Who are the other Muslims in the group and which Islamic organisations are in the coalition? We contend that even the so called ‘Mukhtar Okunade’ may not exist. If he really exists, we challenge him to walk into the secretariat of the Muslim Ummah of South Western Nigeria (MUSWEN) and simply introduce himself.
Secondly, although the writer claimed he was writing on behalf of the so called Coalition of Progressive Yoruba Islamic Groups, he failed to mention the names of the Islamic groups who formed the ‘coalition’. He could not even mention a single Islamic organization in the coalition. This is very strange and it raises serious doubts about the genuineness of the allegations made against Professor Akintola. To that extent, therefore, the ‘coalition’ is a fraud used by fraudsters to attack and discredit a reputable international scholar and a social crusader of the caliber of Professor Ishaq Akintola.
We are fifteen (15) different Islamic organisations and we are all well known in South West Nigeria. Also, we are all Yoruba indigenes. We stand in solidarity with MURIC and its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola. We are also aware of threats to assassinate Professor Akintola. We are not violent people but we will ensure that anybody who attacks Akintola faces the full wrath of the law because we are not going to sit down idly watching enemies of Islam attack a true defender of our faith.
The allegation made by the fake coalition that Akintola wanted to destabilize Yorubaland and cause crisis in Nigeria is baseless and unfounded. It is well known that the motto of MURIC is “Dialogue, Not Violence”. Also, the group has never engaged in any violent act, instead, it has always worked for a better Nigeria since its inception in 1994. MURIC has always promoted a united Nigeria. The human rights organization has also been consistent in its support for the war against corruption and indiscipline. More importantly, it is on record that Professor Akintola and MURIC have vehemently condemned Boko Haram, terrorism and all forms of violence in press statements which are still available online. The fake coalition’s allegation against him is therefore very wicked, crude and a distortion of facts.
It is equally worthy of note that MURIC’s stand on Amotekun was deliberately twisted. The group spoke in support of security. It only rejected religious bias as manifested in the request for birth certificate from churches before being recruited into the security outfit.