RESPECT RIGHTS OF MUSLIM TRADITIONAL RULERS, MURIC TELLS YORUBA TRADITIONALISTS
By: Sefiu Ajape
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has cautioned Yoruba traditionalists against encroaching on the rights of Muslim traditional rulers, emphasizing their freedom to live and be buried according to Islamic rites.
In a statement issued on Monday, October 27, 2025, the Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, urged the people of the South West to respect the constitutional rights of Muslim monarchs who choose to practice Islam even while serving as traditional rulers.
According to Akintola, some Muslim traditional rulers have recently faced condemnation for exhibiting their preference for Islamic practices in matters of worship, death, and burial.
“We assert the right of Muslim traditional rulers to follow their chosen faith. It should be noted that a Muslim king is more often than not crowned as a Muslim because, ceteris paribus, he was a Muslim before becoming king and nothing has changed in his anatomy, physiology or lineage,” he stated.
Akintola stressed that a Muslim monarch remains a leader for all, regardless of religious beliefs, and is expected to treat everyone fairly.
However, he condemned attempts to compel Muslim kings to observe traditional religious rites, describing it as “crossing the red line” and a form of religious coercion.
The MURIC Director further called out the reported cases of forceful conversion at traditional shrines, insisting that such practices violate Section 38 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion.
“All forms of coercion, intimidation, bullying and threats aimed at forcing Yoruba kings to abandon their faith should therefore stop forthwith,” Akintola declared.
He reaffirmed that any traditional ruler is free to choose their religious path, adding that Muslim monarchs who wish to live and die as Muslims must be allowed to do so without interference.
