The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has issued a 14-day ultimatum to Nigeria's Minister of Defence, retired General Christopher Gwabin Musa, demanding a clear improvement in security across Sokoto state or his resignation from office. The ultimatum, announced in a press statement on Saturday, August 22, 2026, was signed by MURIC's Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, and reported by Leadership and PM News.
MURIC Cites 44 Killings and 19 Abductions in Sokoto
MURIC's demand is based on the killing of at least 43 people and an Imam, as well as the abduction of 19 others, within Sokoto state over the past three weeks. The group described the victims as Muslims and framed the attacks as an assault on the symbolic heart of Islam in Nigeria.
"If Abuja is Nigeria's political capital, if Lagos is the country's economic hub, then Sokoto is the heart of Islamdom in Nigeria," Akintola wrote in the statement. "Any attack on Sokoto is deemed by Nigerian Muslims as an attack on Muslims in general." The group held the Nigerian Army directly responsible for the security failures and demanded an "iron-clad defence mechanism" in the area.
DSS Warning Cited as Final Trigger
MURIC also referenced a recent warning from the Department of State Services (DSS) that terrorists were planning to attack tertiary institutions in Sokoto state, describing it as the final catalyst for the group's action. The statement read: "The Defence Minister has reneged on his pledge to stop killings. He has failed the people of Sokoto. He has failed Nigerians."
The group recalled Musa's own words upon assuming office: "I knew that I could not afford to fail myself, fail my nation, fail my family," and argued that his conduct in office contradicted that commitment.
14-Day Countdown and Resignation Demand
MURIC gave the minister until Monday, August 24, 2026, as the start date of the 14-day countdown, demanding visible and verifiable changes to the security apparatus in and around Sokoto within that window. The group was explicit that the city must be made, in its words, "impregnable and unassailable," adding that "no single ant must climb on the Sultan's skin."
"The alternative is for the minister to submit his letter of resignation on or before the ultimatum. There is no other option on the table," the statement concluded. The ultimatum puts pressure on both Defence Minister Musa and President Bola Tinubu to address the security situation in Sokoto state.
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that armed groups, criminal kidnappers, and terrorists abducted 91 health workers and killed 15 others across 101 separate attacks on Nigerian healthcare facilities between 2023 and 2025, according to a new international report. The figures come from the 'Care in the Crosshairs: Violence Against Health Care in Conflict 2025' report, published by the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition, and were compiled using Insecurity Insight's global monitoring system.
