MURIC SLAMS PLATEAU GOVT’S CALL FOR SOLDIER WITHDRAWAL, CALLS MOVE ‘DIABOLICAL, SINISTER’
By: Sefiu Ajape
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has strongly condemned the Plateau State government’s recent request for the withdrawal of soldiers from crisis-prone areas in the state, describing the move as “diabolical” and driven by a “sinister motive.”
This was contained in a press release issued on Tuesday, 29th July 2025, and signed by the Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
The group was responding to a reported demand by Plateau State’s Special Envoy on Peace and Security, who last week called for soldiers to be replaced with mobile policemen in conflict zones.
In reaction, MURIC said, “We of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) smell a rat in this demand. There is more to it than meets the eye. Why should a state enveloped in viral killings demand the removal of soldiers from crisis areas? It does not add up. Plateau has a sinister motive.”
Professor Akintola further alleged a pattern of “official coverup of massacres, cannibalism, arson and looting” in the state, asserting that, “Plateau has mastered the art of deception, manipulation and intrigues.”
He also accused women in the state of collaborating with violent groups, stating, “Women in Plateau communities are hands in gloves with killer youths and they hide murderous hearts behind enticing feminine smiles. They readily go out naked in protest against the presence of soldiers even when they are fully aware that their people have killed innocent Nigerians.”
Rejecting the idea of replacing soldiers with mobile policemen, Akintola said the request was part of a calculated agenda. “Besides, what informed their preference for mobile policemen to replace soldiers is their successful long term plan for predominance in the recruitment of mobile police in the country.”
“They know that indigenes of Plateau, Benue and other parts of North Central dominate the population of mobile policemen. This is what they want to leverage on. They should be denied that luxury,” he added.
Calling for continued military presence, MURIC stressed, “We need the military in Plateau for fair and transparent security operations. The government of Plateau State cannot be trusted for general protection of all citizens in the state.”
