The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has called on the authorities of the Nigeria Police Force to call to order the contractor handling the rebuilding of the church and mosque at the Ijeh Police Barracks, Obalende, Lagos.
In a statement circulated to the media on Tuesday, 27th October, 2026, and signed by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, the group alleged that the contractor, who is handling the twin project, has vowed not to rebuild the mosque because he is a Catholic, while work has already commenced on the church building.
MURIC described the action as a contravention of the terms of the contract and an acrobatic manifestation of religious extremism.
MURIC said:
”The contractor handling the rebuilding of the church and mosque at Ijeh Police Barracks, Obalende, Lagos which were demolished between 31st August and 1st September, 2026, has allegedly sworn not to rebuild the mosque because he is a Catholic although he has already started on the church building.
”Ijeh Police Barracks is the famous and old police barracks on St. Gregory’s College Road, Ikoyi. It sits at the heart of Lagos and contains one of the largest expanse of police residential blocks in Nigeria.
*”Considering the large concentration of both Muslim and Christian policemen with their families, no sane authority will ignore the essence of citing worship centers in such a place. If true, therefore, this report is not only saddening, it is also disturbing and disgusting, and that is to say the least.*
*”The contractor should not build the church alone because doing so will not only contravene the terms of the contract but it will also amount to acrobatic manifestation of religious extremism.*
*”Anyone who cannot be liberal and moderate enough to see a professional job purely from the professional perspective but begins to read religion on the pages of his contract papers is not qualified for the award of a contract involving the buildings of two different religious groups.*
”It appears the Nigerian Police authorities have awarded this contract to a religious fanatic, a certificated extremist and an undisguised Muslim-hater. He must be corrected or halted in his tracks before he sets Nigeria on fire if he is recalcitrant.
”It should be noted that the money expected to be spent on both the church and mosque is public money. It is tax payers’ money. It means money taken from both Muslims and Christians. But Mr. Contractor has allegedly sworn to use it for the church alone. Should this be allowed?
”You cannot be more Catholic than the Pope. Reports already has it that even Pope Francis has allocated a special space for his Muslim visitors to offer their prayers (https://brusselssignal.eu/2025/10/vatican-quietly-allocates-prayer-room-for-muslims/).
*”If the Pope can provide space for Muslims to offer Salat in the Vatican, what stops Nigerian Christians from allowing Muslims to pray in their work places? Yet we have records of Christian employers disallowing Muslims from offering prayers in their places of work or even going outside for Jumu’ah prayer on Friday.*
”Some deliberately fix official assignments, events, tests, examinations, etc at Jumu’ah (Muslim Friday prayer) period in order to ensure that Muslims are not allowed to pray. (https://dailypost.ng/2026/06/22/dont-fix-programmes-during-jummah-prayer-period-muric-tells-unijos/).
*”For transparency, probity and accountability the contractor of this twin project must ensure that both constructions move pari passu. That is how to build confidence. He must not abandon one for the other. He must leave the job for a liberal contractor if his personal dogma and his gymnastic religiousity forbids him from building a mosque.*
*”It was also alleged that the portion of land allocated to the mosque is smaller than that of the mosque. That is unbelievable. 108 feet as against 68 feet is unacceptable. It can only be justified if the land was paid for and the Christians paid a higher price.*
”MURIC invites the police authorities to address the two grievances highlighted above. If Nigeria is a land of justice, fairness and equal rights, a contractor cannot build the church alone and refuse to build the mosque after signing a contract to build both.
”Neither can the police authorities allegedly allocate 108 feet for Christians but give just 68 feet to the Muslims without explaining the parameters adopted. It contradicts the law of natural justice.”