In a significant escalation of a long-running public dispute, a prominent faith-based civil liberties organization has thrown its full weight behind a controversial traditional ruler, alleging a coordinated campaign of Islamophobia and vowing to use legal means to silence his detractors.

 

The conflict centers on Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, the Oluwo of Iwo, whose modern and often outspoken approach to kingship has frequently placed him at the center of public debate. Recent allegations circulating online, including claims of illicit drug use, have drawn a fierce and structured response from the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC ).

In a detailed statement issued by its founder and executive director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, and disseminated to news organizations, MURIC presented a multi-faceted defense of the monarch. The group categorically rejected the accusations as “false, baseless and unfounded,” attributing them not to genuine civic concern but to malicious actors.

“Their actions constitute an infringement on Oluwo’s fundamental human right,” the statement read, explicitly characterizing the online criticism as “cyberbullying.” The group pointed to specific sections of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015, suggesting that future critics could face legal prosecution.

The organization’s rhetoric framed the attacks on the monarch as inherently religious. MURIC identified those behind the allegations as “rebellious subjects, unscrupulous elements, mud-slingers and Muslim-haters,” asserting that the monarch’s “bold and truthful stand on his faith in Islam” made him a target for silencing.

“This is Islamophobia,” the statement declared, positioning the Oluwo as “the most outspoken Muslim traditional ruler in Yorubaland” and therefore a natural focal point for anti-Islamic sentiment.

The advocacy group’s strategy moves beyond rhetoric into active monitoring. MURIC announced that its Osun State chapter has been directed to collaborate with “progressive groups” in Iwo to scrutinize both mainstream and social media for what it terms “provocative pronouncements” against the Oluwo.

The stated objective is to identify individuals for legal action. “The aim is to catch scapegoats among those social media rascals and teach them one or two lessons in self-control and respect for the rights of others,” the statement noted, underscoring a belief that “consequences for recklessness” are necessary to infuse “sanity” into society.

 

The group’s robust defense also included congratulations to Oba Akanbi on his recent legal victory at the Court of Appeal, a separate matter that solidifies his position on the throne.

This development signals a new phase in the intersection of traditional authority, freedom of expression, and religious identity in Nigeria’s digital age, raising questions about the limits of public criticism and the legal tools available to powerful figures to combat it.