The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called on the Nigerian Police authorities to ensure the simultaneous reconstruction of a church and a mosque at Ijeh Police Barracks, Obalende, Lagos, following allegations that the contractor handling the project has refused to rebuild the mosque because of his religious affiliation.
The Islamic human rights organisation said the alleged refusal to reconstruct the mosque, while work had commenced on the church, raised concerns about religious fairness, contractual obligations and the use of public funds.
MURIC’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, made the call in a statement issued on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, urging the police authorities to intervene and ensure that both places of worship are rebuilt as agreed.
The organisation said the two religious buildings were demolished between August 31 and September 1, 2026, adding that the barracks accommodates a large population of Muslim and Christian police officers and their families.
According to MURIC, the contractor allegedly vowed not to rebuild the mosque because he is a Catholic, despite having commenced work on the church.
“The contractor should not build the church alone because doing so will not only contravene the terms of the contract but it will also amount to acrobatic manifestation of religious extremism,” the statement said.
MURIC argued that contractors awarded projects involving places of worship belonging to different religious groups should approach their responsibilities professionally rather than allow personal religious beliefs to influence the execution of the contract.
The group also questioned the alleged use of public funds to rebuild only one of the two places of worship, noting that taxpayers from both religious communities contribute to government revenue.
“It should be noted that the money expected to be spent on both the church and mosque is public money. It is taxpayers’ money. It means money taken from both Muslims and Christians. But Mr. Contractor has allegedly sworn to use it for the church alone. Should this be allowed?” the statement queried.
Beyond the alleged refusal to rebuild the mosque, MURIC raised concerns over the reported difference in the land allocated to the two religious buildings.
The organisation alleged that the church was allocated 108 feet of land, while the mosque received 68 feet, describing the reported disparity as unacceptable without a clear explanation from the authorities.
It called on the police to explain the criteria used in allocating the land and ensure that the decision reflects the principles of fairness and equal treatment.
MURIC maintained that both the reconstruction work and the land allocation required the attention of the police authorities to prevent grievances that could undermine religious harmony.
“For transparency, probity and accountability, the contractor of this twin project must ensure that both constructions move pari passu. That is how to build confidence. He must not abandon one for the other,” the statement said.
The organisation further urged the contractor to withdraw from the project if his personal religious convictions would prevent him from carrying out the agreed work on both buildings.
MURIC called on the police authorities to address the two complaints, insisting that neither the alleged refusal to rebuild the mosque nor the reported difference in land allocation should be ignored.
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The group stressed that the reconstruction of both places of worship should proceed fairly and in accordance with the terms of the contract.
The allegations against the contractor and the reported difference in land allocation were contained in MURIC’s statement. The statement did not include a response from the contractor or the Nigerian Police authorities.
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