PRESS RELEASE: ‎‎MURIC TACKLES IMMIGRATIONS FOR ACCEPTING EQUIPMENT FROM CHURCH

MUSLIM RIGHTS CONCERN (MURIC)

‎هيئة حقوق المسلمين

‎Motto: Dialogue, Not Violence

‎‎25^th August, 2026

‎‎PRESS RELEASE:

‎‎MURIC TACKLES IMMIGRATIONS FOR ACCEPTING EQUIPMENT FROM CHURCH

‎‎A faith-based human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has accused the Nigerian immigrations department of accepting gifts of electronic equipment from a church for official use in immigration offices.

‎‎The allegation was contained in a statement circulated to newsmen on Tuesday, 25th August, 2026 by the Executive Director of the civil liberties organization, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

‎‎”We have just uncovered another trick being used to deprive Muslims of their Allah-given fundamental human rights. Churches collude with ministries and public agencies to make their services alien to Islamic conditions.

‎‎”Few weeks ago, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints donated high-tech equipment to the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) ostensibly to enhance immigration services for travellers in Nigeria.

‎‎”Among the equipment donated were 20 HP Envy All-in-One computers, 20 ARH passport readers, 20 Logitech webcams, two HP LaserJet printers, and five HP ZBook laptop computers (https://thesun.ng/church-donates-high-tech-equipment-to-nigerian-immigration-to-boost-service-delivery/?amp).

‎‎”We smell a rat. The Nigerian immigrations is under the Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs. Why should a church donate sensitive equipment to this department? What is the role of the Federal Government if churches are now donating to ministries? When did immigrations become an orphanage entitled to collect donated materials from churches?

‎”We condemn this transaction in the strongest terms. It stinks kilometers away. Pathological corruption is stamped on it front, back, left, right and centre.

‎‎”The Implications of a church donating such equipment to immigrations are quite disturbing. It can be a form of inducement.  It may be a strategy for ensuring that church members secure immigration jobs whether qualified or not.

‎‎”This will enable the church to fill immigrations with Christian workers at the expense of Muslim job seekers. Those who secure jobs through the church may receive briefings to go all out to persecute Muslims who apply for international passports.

‎‎”No wonder, therefore, that there have been many reports from Muslim women who were forced to remove their hijabs as well as Muslim males forced by immigration officials to remove their turbans or caps at the point of capturing. Those who refused to remove their Islamic wears were sent away.

‎‎”Equipment donated to immigrations are capable of inciting immigration officials against Muslims who apply for international passports or those who seek one service or another. It also serves as a source of influence and control. It curries undue favour.

‎‎”Besides, MURIC suspects that the equipments had been tampered with before delivery and programmed to reject Muslim mode of dressing like women’s hijab, men’s turban and caps. Such manipulations are designed to make it impossible for the machines to capture the images of Muslims dressed as Muslims.

‎‎”There is also an allegation that the gadgets display the church’s name at Abuja airport as the donors. This is an eyesore designed to intimidate travellers who do not belong to the church.

‎‎”Meanwhile a report on the church’s website says the donation was based on request from immigration. Quoted verbatim, the website claims that: ‘In July 2025, the Church received a request from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) for computer systems to improve the operational efficiency of their MIDAS, E-Gate, e-Visa Clearance, e-Landing/Exit Card, and other essential platforms at the airport. The new systems would benefit all travelers, including facilitating the processing of arriving missionaries to Nigeria and assisting with their immigration status processing at the NIS headquarters’ (https://news-africa.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/church-donates-high-tech-equipment-to-the-nigeria-immigration-service).

‎‎”This dimension evokes greater curiousity. Should sensitive government ministries and agencies go about begging? Is this the standard practice? Is it professional? Does this promote probity, transparency and accountability?

‎‎”To add salt to injury, the church had the temerity to claim that the ‘Donation enhances processing for travellers and missionaries’. But must missionaries receive special treatment from immigrations at the airport? Are missionaries not ordinary citizens like the rest of us? Have we not heard of missionaries attempting to smuggle hard drugs through the airports?

‎‎”MURIC calls for a probe into this allegation. Our women, our Imams and other Muslims have suffered untold hardship in the hands of Immigration officials to allow this to go unchallenged. We will be failing in our duty as an Islamic human rights organization if we treat this report with levity.

‎‎”In like manner, the ministry of Internal Affairs will be doing Nigerians great disservice if it fails to investigate this allegation and make its findings public”.

‎‎#Immigrations

‎#ChurchDonation

‎#Inducement

‎#Graft

‎‎Professor Ishaq Akintola,

‎Founder/Executive Director,

‎Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).