The Muslim Rights Concern has raised an alert, stating that terrorists are no longer targeting particular religious groups but are instead focusing on locations with large crowds.
The warning was contained in a statement signed by MURIC’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, which was made available to journalists yesterday.
Akintola explained that current evidence indicates terrorists are not deliberately going after Muslims and their mosques or Christians and their churches. Rather, he said, they have adopted what he described as a “crowd mentality.”
He added that this approach stems from the perception that people tend to feel safer or more comfortable in crowded areas—whether for worship, social gatherings, or entertainment—making such places attractive targets.
According to Akintola, terrorists now strike locations with large gatherings to maximize casualties or to orchestrate mass kidnappings that can generate higher ransom payments.
He emphasized that this pattern explains why schools, churches, and mosques are frequently attacked, stressing that the motivation is primarily economic rather than religious.
“In the midst of a prolonged and extensive national conversation on the controversial Christian genocide narrative, we find it apt to propound a theory of ‘crowd mentality’ to further enrich the national thought process,” Akintola said.
“Having engaged in debates severally on the subject matter and deliberated on the motivation for attacks on mosques, churches and schools, we have come to the conclusion that terrorists and bandits are not actually targeting Muslims and their mosques or going after Christians and their churches, they have only developed a ‘crowd mentality.’
“‘Crowd mentality’ is a situation where people look for or feel more comfortable or safer in crowded places either for attacks or entertainment. For terrorists, targeting places where people assemble in large numbers is for the purpose of maximizing ransom or ensuring high death toll. This explains why they often attack mosques, churches and schools. It is not religion. It is the quest for wealth.
“Terrorists are not interested in religion. All they want is to maximise the amount they can collect as ransom when a large number of people are kidnapped, and the best place where they can find people in large numbers are mosques, churches and schools. It is ‘crowd mentality.’
“Entertainers and musicians will not show interest in performing where there is no crowd. They lose appetite for singing or dancing in quiet lanes and deserted streets, but their spirits rise when the ovation is loud from the crowded audience. It is ‘crowd mentality.’
“Whereas the Christian genocide narrative is pregnant with emotions, offensive, and lacks objectivity, the ‘crowd mentality’ theory is more liberal and less offensive to any group. It admits that Muslims, Christians, and even schools are being attacked. Of course, no rightful thinking person can deny this.”
