The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), a prominent faith-based civil society organization in Nigeria, has issued a stern warning to the Federal Government, state authorities, and parastatals, urging them to halt all business dealings with Israel. The call comes in response to a recent agreement between Nigeria’s and Israel’s foreign ministries involving 40 startups, which MURIC has condemned as a “romance with a terrorist state.”
In a statement released on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, MURIC’s Founder and Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, expressed deep reservations about the deal, describing it as a moral failing. The organization argues that engaging in business with Israel, particularly at this time, is tantamount to endorsing the ongoing Genocide in Gaza.
“Israel has defied the United Nations and mocks all 193 member countries,” Akintola stated, pointing to the reported deaths of over 60,000 Palestinians since October 7, 2023. He highlighted the targeting of women, children, and Christians, as well as the starvation tactics used in what he described as a “landlocked Palestine.”
Akintola labeled Israel’s actions as “astounding human rights violations” and called any financial dealings with the country “blood money.”
The controversial deal, announced by Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel-Harpaz during a visit to Abuja, involves collaboration with 40 Nigerian startups. While details of the initiative remain limited, MURIC has branded it a “vehicle of deception” orchestrated by a “rogue genocidal state.”
The Federal Government has yet to respond officially to MURIC’s appeal, leaving the future of the Nigeria-Israel startup initiative uncertain.
“We charge Nigerians to shun Israel’s money and its genocide-infested businesses,” Akintola concluded, urging a nationwide boycott of Israeli products.
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