By SUNTV Global Channel | December 31, 2025
A faith-based organisation, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has called on Nigerian security agencies to urgently arrest and prosecute a man identified as Maazi Kanayo over alleged inciting comments against Igbo Muslims in South-East Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, MURIC’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, said the organisation became alarmed after the circulation of a viral audio clip allegedly featuring Kanayo, in which he was accused of urging violence against Muslims of Igbo extraction.
According to Akintola, the audio—reportedly shared via TikTok Lite—contains statements allegedly calling on people to kidnap Igbo Muslims and bury them alive. He described the message as a grave threat to public safety and religious coexistence.
“We are in possession of a viral audio message in which Maazi Kanayo allegedly incited Igbo people in the South-East to kidnap Igbo Muslims and bury them alive,” Akintola said. “Igbo Muslims are being threatened with death simply for embracing Islam. How can we rise to their aid?”
MURIC further alleged that the comments specifically mentioned Igbo Muslims living in Enugu, Ebonyi, and Imo states, warning that such targeted rhetoric could expose thousands of people to danger at a time when Nigeria is already grappling with widespread insecurity.
Akintola also noted that some Igbo Muslims serve as traditional rulers in their communities, cautioning that any attack on them could trigger serious communal unrest in the region.
“This is an extremely dangerous development,” the statement said. “The audio places the lives of thousands of Igbo Muslims at risk and could lead to communal turbulence in the South-East.”
The organisation has therefore called on the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force to act swiftly to prevent potential violence.
“MURIC calls on security agencies to arrest, detain, and prosecute Maazi Kanayo without delay. Every minute counts, as the lives of thousands of innocent people hang in the balance,” Akintola added.
As of the time of filing this report, security agencies had not publicly responded to MURIC’s call.
