Academic Forum Raises Alarm Over Alleged Attempt To Exclude Muslim Students From UDUS Mosque

The Academic Forum of the Islamic movement has raised the alarm over what it described as an alleged attempt to exclude some Muslim students affiliated with the movement from the premises of the Central Masjid of Jibril Aminu at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS).

The Forum, in a press statement issued on Monday, August 10, 2026, alleged that the affected students had been subjected to various forms of intimidation by university authorities for peacefully conducting Qur’anic studies and acts of worship within the mosque premises.

The statement, signed by Muhammad Jawad on behalf of the Academic Forum of the Islamic movement under the leadership of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, said the students regularly gather at the Jibril Aminu Mosque twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays after Isha prayer, for Qur’anic recitation and supplications.

According to the Forum, the activities have been conducted peacefully without disrupting the main activities of the mosque.

It said the gatherings were religious and academic in nature and had continued for more than two decades.

However, the Forum alleged that there was an ongoing effort involving members of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN) at the university and some university authorities to forcefully deny the affected students access to the mosque premises.

The group further alleged that some students had, on several occasions, attempted to violently attack the affected students while they were at the mosque.

According to the statement, the Academic Forum was particularly concerned that the alleged attacks had not resulted in disciplinary action by the university management, which it claimed could give the impression of tacit approval of such actions.

“On many occasions, extremists among the students, with the support and sympathy of university authorities, have attempted to violently attack this small group of Muslim students in the mosque,” the Forum alleged.

The group said that following a series of incidents, the affected students approached university authorities and formally presented their concerns, expecting the institution to investigate the matter and provide a fair resolution.

It alleged, however, that rather than addressing the issues raised, the students were asked by the university management, through the Deanery of Student Affairs, to withdraw from the mosque premises.

The development, according to the Forum, raises questions about the neutrality of the university authorities and their handling of religious matters involving students.

The group argued that such a matter should have been addressed in accordance with university regulations and principles of fairness and equality, particularly with regard to students’ right to worship.

The Academic Forum further alleged that the position attributed to some members of the MSSN was based on the belief that the affected students belong to the Shi’a minority group and therefore should not be regarded as Muslims entitled to access the mosque.

The Forum questioned whether such a position, if held by some students, was also reflected in the position of the university authorities.

“If this myopic position is being held by a section of extremist students, what then is the position of the university authorities?” the statement asked.

The group described the alleged development as a form of structural discrimination that could become entrenched if not addressed.

It also raised questions about the religious and sectarian orientation of the university itself, asking whether Usmanu Danfodiyo University should be regarded as an institution belonging to a particular Islamic school of thought or as a public university serving students from different religious and intellectual backgrounds.

The Forum also questioned the role of the MSSN at the university, given what it described as the organisation’s alleged “sectarian and belligerent posture.”

It asked whether the body represents Muslim students generally or whether, according to its allegation, it was being used to impose one religious interpretation on other Muslim groups within the university.

The Academic Forum stressed that the issues involved were not merely theological disagreements but concerns relating to fairness, equal treatment, religious freedom and peaceful coexistence within an academic environment.

“These are not merely theological questions, but concerns that border on fundamental principles of fairness, equal treatment, religious freedom, and peaceful coexistence within an academic institution that ought to be pluralistic and diverse,” the statement said.

The Forum maintained that the affected students were not demanding special privileges from the university.

Rather, it said, they were asking to be recognised and treated as Muslim students who are legally enrolled at Usmanu Danfodiyo University and are members of the university community.

According to the group, their request is simply to be allowed to continue their Qur’anic recitation and supplications peacefully in the appropriate area of the mosque, as they have allegedly done for decades.

The Forum said it was troubling if students could be excluded from a place of worship merely because their understanding of Islam differed from that of another group.

It argued that universities should provide an environment where differences of thought and belief are addressed through dialogue, tolerance, established rules and mutual respect.

The group warned against what it described as the use of intimidation, exclusion or institutional pressure to silence a minority group in favour of a majority.

The Academic Forum therefore called on the management of Usmanu Danfodiyo University to urgently ensure that no student is subjected to religious discrimination, intimidation or harassment because of affiliation with a particular Islamic belief.

It also urged the university authorities to respect the diversity among Muslim students and desist from any action that could create unnecessary division, hostility or confrontation within the university community.

Beyond the university, the Forum called on relevant educational regulators, civil society organisations and individuals committed to justice and peaceful coexistence to pay attention to the development.

It urged such stakeholders to ensure that the rights and dignity of the affected students are protected.

The Forum maintained that universities must remain places of learning, intellectual freedom, justice and peaceful coexistence.

It cautioned against creating an environment where one group could determine who is qualified to practise their faith and who is not.