MURIC Slams FG, NRC For Alleged Discrimination Over Free Train Rides During Eid-el-Kabir.
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has strongly criticised the Federal Government and the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) for failing to provide free train rides to Muslims during the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations, alleging religious bias in the provision of festive season transport benefits.
In a statement issued on Thursday, 5 June 2025, a day before the Sallah festivities, MURIC’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, expressed deep disappointment over what the group described as a “gross disparity and astounding imbalance” in the government’s approach to supporting religious communities during major holidays. The organisation highlighted that free train rides were offered to Christians during the Christmas period, yet no similar gesture was extended to Muslims for Eid-el-Kabir.
“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 Sallah,” Prof Akintola stated, accusing the government of “deliberate marginalisation” of Nigerian Muslims.
MURIC further took aim at the NRC, noting that while additional train services were announced for routes such as Lagos to Ibadan during the Sallah period, these remained commercial, not complimentary. “This extension cannot even scratch the surface. It is not comparable to the over-pampering luxury of the Christmas period,” the statement added.
The group questioned the equity of the government’s actions, asking, “Is free train meant for Christians alone? Who is in control of this government? Are Muslims really being carried along?” MURIC argued that the lack of free transport during Eid-el-Kabir reinforces perceptions of inequality, describing equal rights in Nigeria as “an illusion, a myth, a mirage.”
Calling for urgent reform, MURIC demanded a “total and categorical overhauling” of religious matters, including weekend systems and seasonal holidays, which it claims remain skewed in favour of Christianity due to colonial legacies. “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 concluded.
Despite the criticism, MURIC extended festive greetings to Nigerian Muslims, congratulating them on the occasion of the 2025 Eid-el-Kabir and urging patience and perseverance amidst the perceived marginalisation.
The Federal Government and the NRC are yet to respond to the allegations. As the nation marks Eid-el-Kabir, the controversy has sparked renewed debate about fairness and inclusivity in Nigeria’s socio-political framework.
