Stop Sokoto killings or resign, MURIC tells Defence Minister

Stop Sokoto killings or resign, MURIC tells Defence Minister

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has given the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Gwabin Musa (retd.), 14 days to take decisive action to halt killings and kidnappings in Sokoto State or resign from office.

MURIC, in a statement issued on Saturday by its Executive Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, said the ultimatum followed what it described as the worsening security situation in the state and the minister’s earlier pledge to end the killing of Nigerians.

According to the organisation, 43 people and an imam were killed while 19 others were abducted in three separate attacks in Sokoto State within the past few weeks.

MURIC said the victims were Muslims, adding that the continued attacks had heightened concerns over the safety of residents, farmers, travellers and communities across the state.

“Killings and kidnappings around Nigeria have continued unabated. The level of insecurity has risen to an all-time high. But these terrorist activities have been concentrated on Sokoto State in particular in the past two years,” Akintola said.

The group described the attacks as a reflection of what it called weaknesses in the country’s security architecture and accused the military of failing to adequately protect citizens in the affected areas.

MURIC further argued that attacks in Sokoto had wider implications because of the state’s historical and religious significance to Nigerian Muslims.

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“If Abuja is Nigeria’s political capital, if Lagos is the country’s economic hub, then Sokoto is the heart of Islamdom in Nigeria,” the group said.

It urged the military to strengthen security around Sokoto, insisting that the state required what it described as an “iron-clad defence mechanism” to prevent further attacks.

The organisation also recalled statements reportedly made by Musa when he assumed office as Defence Minister in late 2025, in which he pledged to work towards ending killings and said he could not afford to fail himself, his country and his family.

MURIC said the current security situation in Sokoto amounted to a failure to fulfil that pledge.

“Today Sokoto is under siege. Farmers cannot go to their farms. Villagers seek safe haven in distant lands. City dwellers sleep with one eye open. Travellers have become human merchandise, abducted, humiliated, dehumanised and turned to mere goods whose price must be haggled with criminals,” Akintola said.

The group also expressed concern over a warning reportedly issued by the Department of State Services that terrorists were planning attacks on tertiary institutions in Sokoto State.

MURIC described the warning as a serious development, saying it further underscored the urgency of taking immediate and effective measures to protect residents and institutions in the state.

The organisation therefore gave the Defence Minister 14 days, beginning from Monday, August 24, to demonstrate what it called “visible, tangible and reliable changes” in the security situation in and around Sokoto.

MURIC said the objective should be to make the state, particularly the Sokoto metropolis, safe from terrorist and bandit attacks.

“The alternative is for the Minister to submit his letter of resignation on or before the ultimatum. There is no other option on the table,” Akintola said.

The organisation called on the Federal Government and the security agencies to intensify operations against terrorists and bandits while ensuring the protection of civilians, farmlands, educational institutions and major routes across Sokoto State.

Stop Sokoto killings or resign, MURIC tells Defence Minister