MURIC slams critics, says 11 mosques, 4 churches demolished in Borno

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), an Islamic human rights advocacy group, has slammed critics of Borno State Government over last week demolition of EYN Church in Moduganari suburb of Maiduguri, the state capital.

The state government was accused of being intolerant of Christians and churches in the state after officials enforcing compliance with reforms in the state’s land administration system demolished the church for allegedly carrying out expansion without permission.

But MURIC, in a statement yesterday by its director, Prof Ishaq Akintola, said its investigations showed that 11 mosques and four churches were demolished, contrary to claims that only Christian places of worship were razed.

“A team of investigators working with MURIC visited each of the sites where the mosques were demolished, interviewed residents and gathered photographs and data that showed locations of each of the 11 mosques and dates of their demolition by officials of Borno State Government for violation of purpose approved in residential titles, which was in compliance with a 2010 Government White paper in response to the 2009

Boko Haram insurgency, which strictly prohibited the conversion of any residential house to a place of worship, in all parts of Borno State,” he said.

All the 11 mosques and four churches, including the EYN, were demolished either for violating residential purposes in their allocation titles or for overriding public interest, Prof Akintola said.

The measures, he said, were in compliance with a 2010 white paper.

“We are nonplussed by the immense false propaganda flying around on this issue and we invite anyone who is genuinely in search of the truth to also do his or her findings. We advise armchair critics to be more enterprising. A single phone call to a friend or acquaintance in Maiduguri will debunk all the noise,” Prof Akintola added.