Muslim leaders in the Southwest have protested against any military cooperation between Nigeria and the State of Israel.
The protest came after a press conference organised by Aqsah Nigeria in Ibadan. The leaders said their action was to draw attention to the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, where thousands have been killed in the ongoing war.
They carried placards, banners, and Palestinian flags. Among the inscriptions were: “Nigeria unites for Palestine”, “No more massacre in Palestine”, and “Humanity must rise against Zionist Movement.”
Protest Over Gaza Crisis
The press conference was attended by several Muslim organisations, including the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), The Muslim Congress (TMC), Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN) Oyo State chapter, and the Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria.
Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, read the text of the conference. He said Israel had bombed schools, churches, mosques, and even tents where displaced families were hiding.
“Israel has killed 238 media workers, and 2,000 people were killed in an attempt to get food,” he said.
Akintola added: “As at yesterday, 266 children have starved to death in Gaza. Sixty people were killed in one day, raising the number butchered since October 7, 2023, to 62,064.”
He accused Israel of turning hospitals into death zones while ceasefire talks were still ongoing in Qatar and Egypt.
“These are human beings, not chickens. Israel’s violations have no limits. Even animals’ rights are respected more than those of Palestinians,” Akintola declared.
Call to End Alliance
The groups questioned Nigeria’s plan to deepen security ties with Israel.
“How would Nigeria have a security alliance with this genocider state of Israel? How would our government romance an apartheid state known to commit crimes against humanity?” Akintola asked.
He warned that killing journalists was also “an attempt towards killing journalism itself.”
The leaders called on the Federal Government to halt any proposed security pact, boycott Israeli goods, and cut diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv.
The protest came just days after Nigeria’s Ministry of Defence reaffirmed its intention to enhance military cooperation with Israel. The deal followed a visit to Abuja by Israeli Ambassador Michael Freeman.
During the meeting, both countries discussed joint operations, knowledge sharing, and defence modernisation. They also explored a bilateral pact to develop Nigeria’s defence industry.
Nigeria maintains diplomatic relations with both Israel and Palestine. But the war in Gaza has deepened divisions at home, with civil society groups demanding the government take a clearer moral stand.
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