2nd August, 2019
PRESS RELEASE:
INVASION OF IDI-IROKO MOSQUE: MURIC
DEMANDS JUSTICE
Traditional
worshippers of Olosha Oba and Oro Cult invaded Umar Bin Khattab Mosque in Idi-Iroko in the Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State on Saturday,
27th July, 2019 during the afternoon Zuhr prayer.
According to
the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), an Islamic human rights advocacy group, the
attackers attempted to kill the Imam, Alhaji Abdul Waliy Abdul Azeez Abata but
the latter escaped. They therefore pelted him and his congregation with stones as
they took to their heels. Thereafter, they invaded the mosque and damaged
equipment worth millions of naira.
MURIC has condemned
the invasion in a statement circulated to the media early on Friday, 2nd
August, 2019. The group described the attack as audacious, provocative and
barbaric. The statement was signed by the group’s Director, Professor Ishaq
Akintola.
“We are confounded by this invasion. Places of worship
should be held sacred. This attack is audacious, provocative and barbaric. It
is impunity on the highest pedestal. We denounce it in the strongest terms and
we demand justice. The culprits must be fished out and dealt with according to
the laws of the land.
“Not only
that, Umar Bin Khattab Mosque must be repaired, all vandalized equipment must be replaced
and the hospital bills of all injured Muslims must be fully paid or refunded. We
want the perpetrators arraigned in court. Somebody must be held accountable for
this if Ogun State Government (OGSG) truly desires peaceful coexistence.
“This is about the third time
within one year that Muslims are targeted for attacks in Ogun State alone.
Masquerade worshippers publicly removed the hijab from a Muslim woman’s head
and beat her up in Abeokuta just two months ago, on 18th June, 2019
to be precise (http://freepress.com.ng/2019/06/19/masquerade-brutalizes-sister-on-niqab-in-ogun-state/)
What is happening in Ogun State? Who declared Muslims persona non grata?
Why must Muslims become endangered species in a state where they are in a
comfortable majority?
On 16th September,
2016, Oro worshippers truncated the Id al-Kabir prayers in twenty communities
of Ipokia Local Government. The attackers ensured that no Salah prayer was held
anywhere in the local government, including Ifoyintedo, Atan-ota, Ita-ege, Iledu, Imule, Iropo,
Akopin, Madoga, Ilagbe, Kajola, Osooro, Asipa, Ikorodu/Bola, Idologun, Araromi,
Idomogun, Igbo-Atan, Oke – Iwo, Ajelende and Akinde Elepo-Temu/ Kusika (https://thenationonlineng.net/eid-el-kabir-three-arrested-oro-worshippers-attack-muslims-christians-ogun/).
MURIC blamed
the police for failing to protect Muslims and their properties in Ogun State.
“Ogun State
Police Command has not impressed us. Somebody somewhere has been condoning
criminality. The police should have known from experience that Oro worshippers
often attack mosques whenever they declare their illegal curfews.
“So what happened to intelligence gathering? What is
the state command’s Central Intelligence Department (CID) doing? What happened
to police pre-emptive action? Isn’t the police expected to be proactive? We are
curious to know how many arrests have been made in the mosque invasion case. We
insist that the culprits must be prosecuted. That is the only way to stop
Muslims in the state from taking the law into their own hands. Justice must
not be delayed.
“The police
must also take such actions that will make a repetition too costly for
traditionalists. We are tired of being sitting ducks for criminally minded
religious fanatics. Mosques must be protected by the police anytime illegal
curfews are declared.
“Curfews are
the prerogative of state governors and chairmen of local government councils.
Declaration of curfews by Oro cultists is therefore illegal, illegitimate, unlawful
and unconstitutional. The leaders of the Oro cult must therefore be invited and
cautioned by the police to desist from declaring illegal curfews.
“MURIC calls the attention of the Inspector General of
Police (IG) to the nonchalant attitude of his officers to the criminal
activities of Oro worshippers and other traditionalists in the South West.
Enough is enough.
“Yoruba
Muslims are tax-payers and they deserve protection by the law enforcement
agencies. Muslims in Yorubaland have been extremely tolerant and there has not
been a single violent reaction from any Muslim group or individual in the zone for
several decades. But now their patience is overstretched. Their patience should
not be mistaken for cowardice. It is bourne out of a passionate desire to be
good ambassadors of Islam, a religion of peace.
MURIC also
complained of similar attacks on mosques in other places in the South West and
charged the police to protect Muslims in the sub-region.
“We remind Ogun State Police Command and all police
formations in Yorubaland that Nigeria already has enough security challenges.
Revenge attacks from Muslims will definitely compound the security challenges.
This is what must be avoided. Muslims are being attacked and humiliated at
will. We appeal to the police to protect Muslims in Yorubaland in order to
forestall any breakdown of law and order.
“Attacks on mosques by Oro
worshippers and other traditionalists have become a recurring decimal in Yoruba
cities. On May 30th, 2017, Masquerades attacked a mosque in Ikun-Ekiti,
Moba Local Government, Ekiti State during Ramadan as Muslims gathered to break
the fast.
“Five Muslims were seriously
injured in the attack and they were hospitalized for days. The mosque and
several equipment were damaged. Two cars parked in front of the mosque were vandalized.
(https://punchng.com/masquerades-attack-muslims-inside-mosque/). But neither
the state governor (Fayose) nor the State Police Command could be bothered. Was
this because Muslims in Yorubaland will take anything without complaining?
“Oro worshippers also attacked
Muslims in Iseyin, Oyo State on 20th September, 2018. Many Muslims
received deep cuts from cutlasses (https://www.nairaland.com/4745690/oro-worshippers-attack-muslims-iseyin).
These incidents are just some of the most recent of such attacks.
“We remind state governments in
the South West that attacks by Oro cultists and traditionalists is not limited
to Muslims alone as Christians have also fallen victims in the past. They
should therefore stop snoring while the roof is on fire.
“To conclude this advocacy, we demand justice first and foremost
regarding the attack on Umar Bin Khattab mosque in Idi-Iroko, Ogun State. We
call on state governments in the South West to stop Oro cultists from declaring
illegal curfews. We charge the police to be more proactive, to enforce the rule
of law and to give mosques, churches, Muslims and Christians adequate
protection anytime Oro worshippers declare their illegal curfews. Finally, we
appeal to Muslims to remain calm and law abiding and to allow the security
agents to handle the situation.
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
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