The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has condemned the latest report of Amnesty International on Nigeria.
The Islamic human rights group described the report as jaundiced, lacking substance, balance and objectivity.
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MURIC also accused Amnesty International of ignoring all the achievements and victories of the Nigerian security agencies while concentrating only on the killings and other atrocities by terrorists, with the aim of demarketing Nigeria.
The faith-based non-governmental organisation spoke via a press release by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
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READ FULL DETAIL OF PRESS STATEMENT BY MURIC BELOW.
“In a report released yesterday, 29th May, 2025, Amnesty International gave horrid details of killings and kidnappings in Nigeria. The report, to our minds, looks more like an hatchet job for fifth columnists or foreign enemies of Nigeria than a constructive criticism and balanced report expected of an organization of international repute like Amnesty International.
“A damning report about Nigeria must generate attention among its citizens particularly because it has the capacity to determine their rating among the comity of nations and consequently their future welfare.
“This is where a group like ours operating within the country finds it mandatory to speak up even when we are not the best of friends with the current administration. But we must not allow our displeasure which arose from the administration’s stylish marginalization of Muslims in political appointments becloud our sense of objectivity.*
“We assert that Amnesty International’s report went haywire. It was too biased and heavily jaundiced. All it reported were the violent killings and kidnappings by terrorists without giving recognition to the gallant efforts of men of the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Police in curbing the insurgency and criminalities. This is the lacuna we intend to fill.*
“The achievements of the Nigerian security agencies in battling insurgents and criminals are so many that all the details cannot be given in this short space. For example, troops of 177 Guards Battalion in conjunction with troops of Operation Whirl Stroke and the Civilian Joint Task Force in Nassarawa State rescued no fewer than 30 abducted civilians on 14th January, 2023. The victims were rescued after gun duels between troops and terrorists in Nassa, FCT, and Kogi state. .
“The combined offensives by the military against terrorists and other criminal elements across the country in February 2025 resulted in the rescue of 320 kidnapped victims while 221 terrorists were killed. Troops recently killed 213 terrorists in the Northern part of the country and arrested 216 criminals across the country.
“The Nigerian military achieved significant success in counter-terrorism operations during the first quarter of 2024. The military reported killing 2,352 terrorists, arresting 2,308 individuals, and rescuing 1,241 kidnapped hostages in various operations across the nation. Additionally, several terrorist commanders were eliminated during these operations.
“In February 2025 alone, troops arrested a total of 674 terrorists, bandits, kidnappers as well as perpetrators of oil theft while recovering various assorted weapons and ammunition, including 146 AK-47 rifles, 87 fabricated rifles, 36 assorted Dane guns and 6140 assorted ammunition
“Just before going to press today, the army command announced the killing of 60 terrorists in gun battle. The terrorists were neutralized by troops of Operation Hadin Kai of the Nigerian Army today, Friday, 30th May, 2025. The land and air operation took place in Bita, Borno State in the early hours of Friday .
“These and many other achievements took place under the Tinubu administration but were not included in the hatchet report of Amnesty International. The Nigerian Army also announced four days ago that it is currently re-strategising to meet changing situations in the battlefield .
“Apart from the victories being achieved by Nigerian troops against the insurgents, the Nigerian Police and other security agencies have made their marks in the war against terrorists and criminals.
“In 2024, the Nigeria Police Force recorded major successes in tackling crime, leading to the arrest of 30,313 suspects for various heinous offences, the recovery of 1,984 assorted firearms, 23,250 rounds of ammunition of varying calibres, and the rescue of 1,581 kidnapped victims.
“On 28th November, 2024, police operatives attached to the Borno State Command repelled a group of armed and dreaded terrorists who attacked the Jakana Divisional Police Headquarters, Borno State. The group was met with strong resistance fro m gallant operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, who successfully repelled the attack and left many of the attackers with varying degrees of bullet wounds, while one police officer was injured.
“The Nigeria Police has also carried out several successful rescue operations among which was the rescue of 28 kidnap victims in Enugu State where 10 suspects were arrested.
“Unfortunately, however, Amnesty International buried the heroic acts of Nigerian soldiers and policemen mentioned above with many others under its demarketing sentiment. Amnesty was merely interested in painting Nigeria as a constant battleground, a mafia nation of gangsterism and a blood thirsty land of wild people.
“Amnesty International ignored all the achievements and victories of the Nigerian security agencies while it concentrated on the killings and other atrocities with the aim of demarketing Nigeria. Amnesty International’s report lacks balance. It has only succeeded in massaging the ego of the terrorists. It is long in tautology, short in critical analysis.”*
#RejectJaundicedAmnestyInternationalReport
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Founder/Executive Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).
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