The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called on the Nigerian Army to reopen a mosque at Mogadishu Cantonment, Abuja, allegedly shut down by military authorities since October 12.
The Islamic human rights organisation also demanded an explanation for the closure, describing it as a violation of Muslims’ freedom of worship.
MURIC’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, made the demand in a statement issued on Tuesday, October 20, 2026.
According to the organisation, the closure has disrupted daily prayers for Muslim military personnel, their families and civilian staff living and working in the affected area of the cantonment.
Akintola said the mosque served worshippers who would otherwise have to travel a considerable distance to the central mosque within the cantonment to observe their daily prayers.
He argued that the closure raised concerns about the constitutional right to freedom of religion, as guaranteed by Section 38(1) of the 1999 Constitution.
“As a daily prayer mosque, this closure implies serious disruption of the daily prayers of Muslim soldiers and civilians who, all things being equal, should observe their prayers there five times daily as required by Islam,” he said.
Citing Quran 4:103, which emphasises the obligation to observe prayers at prescribed times, Akintola maintained that closing a mosque without adequate justification could deny worshippers convenient access to a place of worship.
MURIC therefore urged the authorities to reopen the mosque immediately or provide what it described as a convincing explanation for the decision.
The organisation also questioned the reported closure of the mosque while two churches within the same cantonment remained open and operational.
“With the two churches in the same cantonment open and fully operational for Christians, we see no reason for closing the daily prayer mosque being used by Muslims,” the statement said.
It added that the distance between the central mosque and the residential areas occupied by some Muslim personnel and their families made the facility inconvenient for regular daily prayers.
Akintola further called on the military authorities to uphold the principles of accountability and respect for fundamental rights, stressing that no institution should be exempt from scrutiny in a democratic society.
“Democracy is not a respecter of any institution, no matter how powerful. Even the army must be held accountable in a democracy,” he said.
He also emphasised the importance of religious observance to military personnel, noting that soldiers, like other citizens, had spiritual needs alongside their physical and professional responsibilities.
MURIC appealed to the cantonment authorities to reopen the mosque to enable Muslim personnel, their families and civilian workers in the area to access a convenient place for their daily prayers.