The Northern wing of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has extended Good Friday greetings to Christians across Northern Nigeria while issuing a strong call for sincerity, patriotism, and integrity among Christian leaders in the region.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Kano State Chairman of MURIC and Coordinator of its Northern Wing, Malam Hassan Sani Indabawa, congratulated Christians on the successful completion of the Lenten fasting period but criticised what he described as “hypocritical” conduct by some Christian leaders.
The group specifically faulted the Forum of Northern Christians (FNC), also known as the Northern Christian Association (NCA), urging it to prioritise internal cohesion rather than making what it termed “insincere and politically motivated remarks.”
MURIC’s reaction followed an earlier message by the Chairman of the Northern Christian body, Rev. Joseph John Hayab, who had called for mutual respect, understanding, and peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians during the Eid-el-Fitr celebration.
However, MURIC said it viewed the message with skepticism, alleging contradictions between public calls for unity and what it described as behind-the-scenes actions by some Christian leaders, including petitions to foreign governments over claims of religious persecution in Nigeria.
The Islamic advocacy group further accused certain northern Christian leaders of promoting narratives of “Christian genocide” abroad, describing such actions as unpatriotic and harmful to Nigeria’s image.
While acknowledging the long history of coexistence between Muslims and Christians in Northern Nigeria, MURIC maintained that ordinary citizens of both faiths generally live in peace, attributing tensions to what it called “incendiary rhetoric” by some religious leaders.
The group also called on the Christian body to “tame its members,” promote accountability, and match its public statements with actions that foster genuine interfaith harmony.
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Reaffirming the need for peaceful coexistence, MURIC urged all religious stakeholders to avoid actions capable of undermining national unity and sovereignty, stressing that Nigerians must continue to live together despite religious and ethnic differences.
It concluded by encouraging faith-based organisations to uphold sincerity, demonstrate integrity, and promote mutual respect in order to strengthen interfaith relations across the country.
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