The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has accused the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) of disloyalty to President Bola Tinubu, alleging that the Christian body betrayed the President despite what the group described as his “generous consideration for Christians” in federal appointments.
The accusation followed the decision by U.S. President, Donald Trump, to place Nigeria back on the list of “Countries of Particular Concern” (CPC) for alleged genocide against Christians.
In a statement issued by Professor Ishaq Akintola, Founder and Executive Director of MURIC, the group condemned what it called the involvement of some Christian leaders in submitting petitions to U.S. authorities about religious persecution in Nigeria.
“Despite the Nigerian government’s strong denial of any Christian genocide, U.S. President Donald Trump yesterday redesignated Nigeria as a country of particular concern,” Akintola said.
MURIC described the U.S. designation as “unwarranted” and a “complete misrepresentation of the true situation in Nigeria.”
The group accused unnamed Christian leaders of damaging Nigeria’s image abroad by sending “frivolous petitions” and claimed that CAN amplified these allegations instead of correcting them.
“Certain Christian leaders wrote misleading petitions to the U.S. Congress, alleging that only Christians were being killed by terrorists in Nigeria. Instead of debunking this false narrative, CAN simply amplified it,” MURIC stated.
Expressing disappointment, MURIC said CAN should have acted more responsibly, given what it described as President Tinubu’s goodwill toward Christians through appointments and other privileges.
“CAN’s action is a stab in the back, considering President Tinubu’s preference for Christians in key appointments and benefits,” the statement concluded.
