The Muslim Rights Concern, (MURIC), has criticised the Federal Government and the Nigerian Railway Corporation over what it describes as religious bias in the provision of free train rides during festive seasons.
Its Executive Director, Prof Is’haq Akintola, expressed disappointment in a statement issued on Thursday, a day before Sallah, over the government’s decision to offer free train rides only during the Christian holiday of Christmas, without extending similar benefits during Islamic festivals such as Eid-el-Kabir.
The statement said, “A strange scenario is currently playing out in the Nigerian socio-cultural landscape. The Federal Government offered free train rides during Christmas; it has maintained a pregnant silence on whether the same handout will be offered during this Salah”.
While the FG had extended its free train services beyond December 2024 into early January 2025, MURIC noted that only paid services were announced for the Salah period.
He said, “The NRC did confirm additional trips for routes such as Lagos to Ibadan, but these services remain commercial, not complimentary. This extension cannot even scratch the surface. It is not comparable to the over-pampering luxury of the Christmas period”.
MURIC questioned the equity of such decisions, accusing the government of sidelining Muslims and marginalising them in a country with a Muslim president and a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket. “We are constrained to ask: Is free train meant for Christians alone? Who is in control of this government? Are Muslims really being carried along?” he queried.
The organisation also condemned what it described as a broader pattern of political, economic, and social exclusion of Muslims, urging a fundamental overhaul of religious practices institutionalised during the colonial era, such as the weekend system and holiday schedules, which it claims remain biased toward Christianity.
“If this is an oversight, we demand an apology from FG. If it is deliberate, we will assume it is an exhibition of executive impunity”, the statement added.
Amidst its criticisms, MURIC extended festive greetings to Nigerian Muslims on the 2025 Eid al-Kabir celebrations, and urged patience and perseverance among followers of Islam.
“Despite the fact that neither FG nor NRC has been fair to Muslims, we will hold our peace, since we have no iota of doubt that Almighty Allah is forever constant, ever watchful”, Akintola stated.
