The organisation in a statement made to SaharaReporters on Thursday, signed by its Kwara State Chapter Chairman, Taofeeq Jaji, condemned the magazine's report portraying its director as a traitor among the Yoruba working for Fulani marauders.
A rights group that seeks to promote the interest of Muslims in Nigeria, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has petitioned the Inspector General of Police over what it described as an incitement of the Yoruba people against the organisation and its director by Alaroye, a weekly Yoruba magazine.
The organisation in a statement made to SaharaReporters on Thursday, signed by its Kwara State Chapter Chairman, Taofeeq Jaji, condemned the magazine's report portraying its director as a traitor among the Yoruba working for Fulani marauders.
While also demanding an apology from the medium to avoid litigation, MURIC warned that unless there are consequences for character assassination, blatant lies and incitement of members of the public through reckless, lawless and irresponsible journalism, there would be no sanity in the public space.
The statement partly read, "Following the publication of inciting statements by Alaroye magazine two weeks ago, the State Chairmen Forum of MURIC (SCF) held an emergency zoom meeting on Saturday, 14th August, 2022.
“The SCF resolved to send a petition to the Inspector General of the Police and to also demand an unreserved apology from Alaroye magazine failing which the publisher will be sued in a court of competent jurisdiction.
"In compliance with the above resolution, a petition addressed to the IG was submitted at the Abuja office of the IG on Wednesday, 17th August, 2022. The petition was officially acknowledged and stamped 'received'. In addition, a letter demanding apology was sent by DHL courier to the office of Alaroye magazine. Our tracking of the parcel on DHL website showed it was delivered on Thursday, 18th August, 2022.
"Unless there are consequences for character assassination, blatant lies and incitement of members of the public through reckless, lawless and irresponsible journalism, there will be no sanity in the public space. 800,000 lives were lost in the space of one hundred days in the Rwanda war which occurred between April and July 1994.
"Interestingly, the press had the lion share of the blame for ignition tension before the crisis. There must be checks and balances in a sector like the press that is so powerful particularly when it tends to become another Frankenstein monster. We must use every legitimate tool available to check recklessness in the media.
"MURIC appeals to the IG to expedite action on its petition as it concerns matters of likely breach of public peace and threat to the life of our director. We have no doubt that the Nigeria Police will greatly assist peace efforts in the country if it ensures the safety of our director."