The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), an Islamic human rights organization, has raised serious concerns over the activities of Adeleke University, Ede, in Osun State, accusing the institution of disrupting the religious practices of its Muslim students. In a press release issued on Thursday, 20th March, 2025, MURIC condemned what it called the university’s ongoing attempts to de-Islamize and forcefully Christianize Muslim students. The group further accused the university of coercing students to attend church programmes and disrupting their Ramadan observances.
In the statement, MURIC’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, highlighted the concerns of several Muslim students who had complained about the institution’s actions. According to Akintola, the university has been targeting Muslim students by making it compulsory for all students, including Muslims, to attend church programmes. One of the specific incidents MURIC pointed to was the interruption of the supererogatory prayers (tarawih) held by Muslim students during Ramadan. The group claimed that Muslim students were warned not to engage in such practices again.
“These are signs of religious intolerance,” Akintola said, stressing that this issue had persisted for years. “We have said it times without number that Christians in the South weaponize education to convert Muslims.” Akintola also pointed out that the university’s policies appeared to target Muslim students specifically, claiming that the institution had been violating the religious rights of Muslim students for years.
This latest accusation is not the first time Adeleke University has come under scrutiny for its treatment of Muslim students. In 2019, MURIC leveled similar charges against the institution, accusing it of forcing Muslim students to attend church services, particularly on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. The organization had previously called on the National Universities Commission (NUC) to investigate these allegations, particularly focusing on the university’s students’ handbook.
In its 2019 statement, MURIC argued that Adeleke University banned the practice of any faith other than Christianity on its campus, prohibiting Muslim students from observing Salat (prayer) and making the wearing of the hijab a taboo. MURIC also alleged that the institution hid these practices from prospective students until after they had paid their school fees and could no longer withdraw from the university. According to MURIC, this deceptive practice deprived Muslim students of the opportunity to make informed decisions about their education.
MURIC’s 2019 statement also referred to specific pages of the university’s students’ handbook that it believed violated the religious rights of Muslim students. The pages in question, according to MURIC, contained rules that infringed upon the freedom of Muslim students to practice their religion, including mandatory attendance at church services.
“We invite NUC to take a look at the students’ handbook of this institution, especially pages 7, 49, 50, 56, and 60. These pages, to our mind, contain rules that infringe on the religious freedom of Muslim students,” MURIC had said in 2019. The group urged the NUC to intervene in the matter and conduct a thorough investigation into the university’s practices.
MURIC expressed deep concern that, despite the attention given to the issue in 2019, the situation at Adeleke University had not improved. Akintola lamented that, five years later, the university continued to engage in what he described as “victimizing, stereotyping, and traumatizing” Muslim students.
The organization also noted that while Adeleke University was the primary focus of its criticism, it was not alone in the South. Other private universities in the region, according to MURIC, were also guilty of similar practices, subjecting Muslim students to religious discrimination and forcing them into situations where they could not freely practice their faith.
MURIC’s statement expressed frustration over the lack of action by relevant authorities, particularly the National Universities Commission (NUC), which is responsible for overseeing the conduct of universities in Nigeria. According to MURIC, the issue of religious intolerance and persecution of Muslim students at private universities should not be ignored, and NUC should step in to ensure that these universities uphold the rights of all students, regardless of their religion.
“We are deeply worried that five years down the line, Adeleke University continues to victimize, stereotype and traumatize Muslim students,” Akintola said. “Why is that of Nigeria different? What are the public affairs of those agencies doing? What is NUC waiting for? This issue is already in the public domain, and NUC is part of this larger society.”
MURIC also called on Nigerian Muslim parents and students to be cautious when considering Christian-owned private universities. The organization warned Muslim families to avoid enrolling in such institutions, citing the risk that the universities may hide their religious prejudices until after students have paid their fees and registered.
In a 2022 warning, MURIC had advised Muslim students to stay away from Christian private universities, noting that these institutions often deceive students into committing to them by withholding information about their religious policies until it is too late. The group argued that oversight authorities should ensure that private universities are transparent about their religious affiliations before students make financial commitments.
“Private universities must manifest transparency, and this should begin from showing their religious inclination,” Akintola stated. He also emphasized that oversight bodies like the NUC should take a proactive role in ensuring that these institutions adhere to the principles of religious tolerance and human rights.
The allegations against Adeleke University have brought the issue of religious intolerance in Nigerian private universities to the forefront of public discourse. As MURIC calls for action from the National Universities Commission (NUC) and other relevant bodies, the case of Adeleke University serves as a reminder of the challenges that Muslim students face in certain institutions, particularly in the southern regions of Nigeria.
With tensions around religious freedoms continuing to grow, it remains to be seen whether the NUC or other government agencies will take decisive action to address these issues and ensure that the rights of Muslim students are protected in all Nigerian universities. MURIC’s call for transparency, investigation, and accountability in private universities could be the beginning of a larger movement to ensure equal rights for students of all religious backgrounds in Nigeria’s educational institutions.
