Old Eid Praying Ground Ogbomoso: How table turned at eleventh hour
Khalid ABRAHAM
High level intrigues and high powered interchanges dogged the process leading to the observation of Eid Fitri prayer by many Muslim faithful at Old Eid Praying Ground at General area Ogbomoso, Wednesday.
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As at daybreak today Wednesday the faction led by Aare Musulumi of Ogbomosoland Alhaji Abdulganiyu Atanda Owodunni, that had proposed to hold the prayer at the venue, had given up hope of using the place, according to news monitored by ogbomosoinsightonline.com Tuesday evening.
The Commissioner of Police of Oyo state had reportedly gave an order that the place be locked down, with men of the Nigerian Police Force occupying the venue since Monday.
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In the wake of this, the aggrieved group found an alternative venue for the prayer, which is further down the old eid at Ajikeola premises. But unlike before this location was not made public through radio announcements. It was passed by words of mouth to maintain secrecy.
“However, when we arrived Ajikeola ground this morning,” a source close to the faction began while speaking with ogbomosoinsightonline.com.
“To our surprise, the new venue had also been sealed up by stern looking men of the Nigerian police.
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“Our leaders swung into action immediately. The so-called Ibadan meeting was a coercion against us and we didn’t drag it even though there was no signed statement from the police to the effect.
“We still chose another venue but some people now decided to block that again. Our leaders now took corrective measures. They drove to the Police Area Command Headquarters at Owode and the story changed.
“The Area Commander gave a counter-order to his men at the old eid that rather than preventing us they should protect us. I don’t know, perhaps he had received a superior order, one that superceded the former one. What l know is that access was immediately allowed into the venue. It is victory for justice.”
Ogbomoso Insight observed those on ground calling others on phone that the prayer had commenced at the venue and in a twinkle the place became filled with enthusiastic faithful.
The split arose as a result of the outcry by the Imam Ayilara family (whose turn it’s to produce Ogbomoso’s Grand Chief Imam) that Sheikh Yunus Taliat Ayilara who emerged is neither paternally nor maternally related to the family describing him as an “usurper” and so demanded a probe and subsequent removal.
The ensuing crisis has lingered over two years without resolution. In recent time however, the Chief Imam took the new Soun Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye and the Inspector General of Police to court on the matter and obtained an injunction against his removal or arrest in the preliminary ruling.
His recent outbursts in which he disparaged the Soun and other Muslim leaders opposed to him (who believed the Ayilara family is telling the truth after conducting series of investigations), however exacerbated the crisis and that was the road to staging a separate Eid prayer at the old Eid praying ground.
The old Eid praying ground had been abandoned for a bigger site at Ajeja/Temidire along Iresaapa road some years back.
So, today, prayers were held simultaneously at the two venues. While Sheikh Yunus Taliat Ayilara, the embattled Chief Imam, led at Ajeja, Alhaji Habeeb Ayilara led the prayer at the old Eid.
This is contrary to his earlier warning that the prayer must not be held there declaring: “Who among the imams would dare to lead the prayer?”
