The Amalgamated Muslim Rights Concern (AMURIC) has taken note of media reports and a widely circulated video containing allegations of sodomy made by Alhaji Buhari Namalam, a businessman, Sokoto politician and main grassroots youth mobiliser for the Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s 2023 elections, against a prominent Sokoto politician, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, former Governor of Sokoto State, as well as claims of persecution allegedly involving the current Governor of Sokoto State, His Excellency Ahmed Aliyu.
As a registered umbrella body of several Islamic organizations based in South-West Nigeria, AMURIC considers it a duty to intervene in this matter in the interest of the Nigerian Muslim Ummah. Our intervention is particularly informed by the recurring insinuations that Islam is an ethnic religion limited to a section of Nigeria, an idea we strongly reject and continuously work against.
Sodomy is a grave matter in Islam, one which the Qur’an clearly condemns and for which Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta‘ala) punished an entire nation. It is therefore an issue that must be treated with utmost seriousness and sensitivity, especially when allegations are linked to Sokoto State, historically regarded as the spiritual seat of Islamic leadership in Nigeria.
AMURIC therefore calls on Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko and Governor Ahmed Aliyu—both mentioned in the Hausa-language viral video—to publicly and clearly address the allegations leveled against them. Continued silence on such a sensitive matter does not serve the interest of Islam, the Muslim Ummah, or public confidence. This is even more important given that the accuser has reportedly sworn by the Holy Qur’an to maintain his claims, even if invited by security agencies such as the Department of State Services (DSS).
According to the reports, the accuser alleges that his refusal to submit to immoral advances led to his persecution, allegedly by individuals who are Muslims and political leaders. Nigerian Muslims are already facing numerous challenges from forces hostile to Islam, many of whom exploit regional and political divisions to weaken Muslim unity. This situation, if not properly addressed, risks further damage to the image of Islam and Muslims in Nigeria.
If the allegations are false and merely political in nature, political actors must exercise restraint and avoid invoking issues as dangerous, immoral, and socially destructive as sodomy for political gain. However, if there is any substance to the claims, AMURIC calls on the appropriate Islamic authorities and relevant Shari‘a institutions in the Federal Republic of Nigeria to investigate the matter thoroughly, in order to prevent future generations from normalizing what Islam clearly prohibits.
Nigeria must not slide into moral confusion under any guise. Even in countries that appear to promote such practices, their societal consequences have generated deep political and cultural divisions. Such must not be allowed to take root in our society.
AMURIC reiterates its commitment to defending the sanctity of Islam, the unity of Nigerian Muslims, and the moral values upon which our faith stands.
Signed:
Mallam Ibrahim Agunbiade
For: Amalgamated Muslim Rights Concern (AMURIC)
Ibadan, Nigeria
Saturday, January 24, 2026