Daud Olatunji
The Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) has criticised a recent visit by a United States congressional delegation to Nigeria, alleging that the engagements were “imbalanced” and failed to reflect the country’s multi-faith reality.
In a statement issued in Lagos on Tuesday, MPAC Executive Chairman, Disu Kamor, expressed concern that a member of the delegation, U.S. Congressman Riley Moore, highlighted meetings with Christian and traditional leaders during the visit while failing to interface with key Muslim bodies.
Moore had posted on his X handle that he met “His Excellency Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, Bishop Isaac Dugu, and His Royal Highness James Ioruza” during a stop in Benue State, describing the meetings as “deeply moving” and part of discussions on violence affecting communities in the region.
But MPAC said the decision to engage only a segment of Nigeria’s religious leadership sent “a troubling message” in a country where religion remains a major social and political factor.
“This was not a scheduling oversight. It was a message,” the group said, adding that the delegation “avoided every major Muslim institution, including the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), the umbrella body of the nation’s Muslim population.”
According to the organisation, no effort was made to meet with Muslim communities affected by violence or to hear from Muslim victims whose experiences form part of the broader security situation in the country.
MPAC questioned how a fact-finding mission could claim neutrality while excluding significant stakeholders.
“How does any delegation claiming neutrality step into a multi-faith nation and intentionally cut off communication with one of its largest faith communities?” it asked.
“What kind of fact-finding exercise excludes the people whose suffering is central to the crisis being examined?”
The organisation warned that selective engagement by foreign partners could fuel mistrust, deepen religious suspicion, and undermine long-standing efforts to foster peaceful coexistence in Nigeria.
“A dangerous pattern is emerging—selective listening, selective engagement, and selective outrage,” it said, noting that such an approach “emboldens extremists and threatens the fragile fabric of peace between Nigeria’s faith communities.”
The group further raised concerns about the risk of external influence from religious lobby groups abroad shaping U.S. policy toward Nigeria, urging American officials to maintain balance and fairness in their engagements.
“Nigeria deserves fairness. Nigerian Muslims deserve respect. And every engagement with our country must reflect balance—not a predetermined narrative curated to reinforce sectarian biases,” MPAC stated.
The organisation reaffirmed its commitment to advocating justice, equity, and interfaith harmony, urging international partners to engage all segments of Nigerian society with sensitivity and neutrality.
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