Image caption; Hassan Tunde Ayilara (blue attire)
We, not Soun, fighting Chief Imam Ogbomoso – Ayilara family
Yinka ADETUNJI
The picture of the imbroglio tearing the Muslim community apart in Ogbomoso, Oyo state, and which a party in the feud is accusing the Soun of Ogbomosoland Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye of orchestrating, has become clearer, following an explosive press conference Sunday by the Imam Ayilara family of Ogbomoso at Ibadan.
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The Imam Ayilara family is one of the six Imam families rotating Chief Imamship position in Ogbomoso and it is its turn to fill the vacancy sequel to the demise of Sheikh Asafa Sanusi.
However, the present occupant of the position, Sheikh Teliat Yunus Olushina Ayilara, the family had consistently claimed shares no blood relationship with them therefore dismissing him as an “usurper.”
Titled, “Chief Imam Ogbomoso imbroglio: Setting the record straight,” and addressed by Prince Hassan Abdulkarerm Tunde Ayilara, the speech chronicles the battle of the family to rectify the alleged usurpation by Sheikh Teliat Yunus Olushina.
Hassan Ayilara accompanied by other members of the family members and Muslim leaders in Ogbomoson insisted the embattled Chief Imam Teliat snatched the position by subterfuge with the help of some powerful individuals, while exonerating Oba Olaoye of culpability in the chaos in any form.
Those in the entourage included Mogaji of the family Alhaji Abdulyekeen Asafa Ayiiara; Mogaji Mahmud lineage Alhaji Ibraheem Abdulwahab Ayilara; family general secretary Alfa Musliudeen Fasasi Ayilara; Alhaji Abass Babatunde Ayilara; Alhaji Abdulfatai Abdulraheem Ayilara and Alhaja Asifawu Abdulfatai Ayilara.
Some others are Aare Musulumi of Ogbomosoland Alhaji Abdulganiyu Atanda Owodunni; Parakoyi Adini Alhaji Sirajudeen Aleem; Balogun Adinni of Ogbomoso Alhaji Abdulrasak Bello; chairman Ogbomoso Zone of Ogbomoso Muslim Council (OMC) Alhaji Abdulateef Muhammadu Bello and OMC chairmen in the five local governments in Ogbomoso; representatives of League of Imams and Alfas Ogbomoso including its secretary general Alhaji Asimiyu Muhammadu Bello; Imam Ratibi’s representatives; and Alhaji Taofeeq Mohammad Zubair Lobanika who represented Ogbomoso Muslim Justice Forum.
Ayilara stressed the family protested the manipulation from inception but that some “powerful forces” muzzled their opposition and blocked same reaching the late Soun of Ogbomosoland Oba Jimoh Oladunni Oyewumi Ajagungbade III, who ratified the appointment and performed the installation ceremony.
He said the “fraud” sailed through because Oba Oyewumi was much aged and not in a “good frame” to make such rigorous decision at the time.
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“But through manipulations, deceits and lies, Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina was put forward by some powerful forces to rob us. We vehemently protested from the outset even before the screening but they succeeded in muzzling us. We lodged our protest at the Ogbomoso Palace but these powerful interests blocked our protest from reaching Kabiyesi then, His Imperial Majesty Oba (Dr) Jimoh Oladunni Oyewumi Ajagungbade III JP CON CFR. They had their way presenting him to the Kabiyesi. But it’s on record Baba was sceptical and was mentioning someone else’s name and so rejected Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina. This can be confirmed in a video clip. But because of the advanced age of the late Kabiyesi, Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina’s name sailed.”
The address emphasizes that despite, the family never relented, disclosing protest letters were subsequently sent to various authorities in the community to look into the matter.
Hassan Ayilara informed letters of protest at different times were sent to the Muslim leaders in Ogbomoso including the League of Imams and Alfas and the Special Committee on Islamic Affairs headed by Aare Musulumi of Ogbomoso Alhaji Abdulganiyu Atanda Owodunni.
He stated the Soun-in-Council was also notified of their grievance because the former Soun “died 21 days” after installing the now embattled Chief Imam and so the throne was vacant.
He also discloses that at the ascension of a new Soun in September 2023, he was duly also brought into the picture through a complaint by the family.
He affirms the new Soun Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, like other authorities earlier, set up a panel of inquiry headed by one of his High Chiefs Abese Ogbomoso, Kasali Yusuf Oladipupo, to thoroughly investigate and determine the veracity of the claim that Teliat Yunus Olushina has no “blood affinity with the family.”
Hassan Ayilara asserted the Abese committee like others also found the claim true that Teliat Yunus Olushina has no genealogical relationship with the Imam Ayilara family.
The committee he claimed, likewise recommended Olushina to “step aside,” but “he nonetheless remains adamant.”
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Ayilara consequently absolves the Soun Oba Ghandi Olaoye of any complicity in the contention to remove the “Chief Imam” as being fiercely alleged even as he claimed the Imam had fomented trouble and violence at different times.
He maintains rather that it was the Imam Ayilara family that made the demand for his removal after they discovered he is an “imposter,” whom they claimed is “not even from Ogbomosoland.”
The family expresses disapproval against the invectives they posited the “Chief Imam” had been hurling at the Kabiyesi, individuals and other groups in the city, as well as against litigations instituted against the monarch and the Soun-in-Council, declaring, “We consider it as a pathetic act of desperation and a diversionary attempt to cover his fraud. We dissociate ourselves from his effrontery. We can never be part of that as we hold the Soun of Ogbomosoland in high esteem, whose dynasty made our forefathers Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland. It’s brazenness on his part too to have sued the Soun and the Soun-in-Council to court that they had no power to remove him even though they installed him.”
In another breath Hassan Ayilara (in Yoruba) emphasizes no member of Ayilara family bears “Olu” “as we are royals (from Ikoyi-Ile) and so we bear Ade,” wondering where the Imam got the name “Olushina.”
This is as he claims the Imam has not been able to bring out any of his siblings in the family though he said his father had three wives, underlining, “We are the one fighting him because of his deceits and lies and not Oba Ghandi Olaoye, he only wants to cause religious war in Ogbomoso.”
Hassan Ayilara now says matter of fact, “Thus, we had ceased to recognize Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina as Grand Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland since 3rd September, 2023,” even as he stresses, “Finally, there is no person known as Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina in the Imam Ayilara family of Ogbomoso, he is an imposter and has been using the social media to blackmail the Soun of Ogbomsoland simply because he is a Christian, this is not a religious issue at all, it is purely a family affair to which we have now approached the court to give justice to this claim of an imposter.
“He has brought disrepute to the Imam Ayilara family, to the prestigious throne of Ogbomosoland and to the image of the entire Muslim Community of Ogbomosoland.
“We the entire Imam Ayilara’s family of Ogbomoso do not know Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina in our family neither is he from Ogbomosoland.”
See full text:
IMAM AYILARA FAMILY, OGBOMOSO, OYO STATE.
CHIEF IMAM OGBOMOSO IMBROGLIO: SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT
A. Introduction
1. Gentlemen of the press, let me express our sincere gratitude and appreciation for honouring the invitation by the Imam Ayilara Family of Ogbomosoland. May you all prosper in all your endeavours Ameen.
2. The purpose of this address is to respond to the interview granted to the Tribune publication of Saturday, the 20th day of April, 2024 by the so-called “Imam” Teliat Olushina. In the said interview, he narrated how he became the Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland. He said and I quote, “So, it was in 2021 that I was beckoned on by my family in Ogbomoso to come and take the mantle of leadership as the Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland. When I was invited by my family after the demise of the former Chief Imam, five of us contested for the seat within my family. After a very rigorous screening within the family, I was appointed. Some people protested and said they don’t want me …”
B. Brief background of Imam Ayilara family
3. Sheikh Uthman Ayilara was our great progenitor. He hailed from the Onikoyi Adegun Ruling House of Ikoyi-Ile in the present Oriire local government area of Oyo state. After the disintegration of Oyo Empire, Sheikh Uthman Ayilara migrated to Ilorin, where he acquired more Islamic knowledge and improved his practice of Islam. He later resettled in the outskirts of Ogbomoso at the area now known as “Baby,” along Ikoyi road. However, the then Soun invited him and resettled him at the present Ayilara compound at Oke-Agbede. He sired seven children – six males and one female. They are Sanni, Abeeb, Mahmud, Abass, Lawal, Salamotu and Bello. His children learnt at his feet and at other places and so, became likewise great Islamic scholars. In 1917, Sheikh Mahmud, one of his children, was installed Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland by Oba Bello Afolabi Oyewumi Ajagungbade II, the Soun of Ogbomosoland (1916 – 1940). Our progenitor, Sheikh Ayilara, founded another settlement at Isale-Afon area, also in Ogbomoso. His seven children he made to occupy the two family houses. Sanni, Abeeb, Mahmud and Bello at Oke-Agbede. Abass, Lawal and Salamotu at Isale- Afon. These are the authentic Imam Ayilara Houses.
4. Our forefathers were accommodating, thus, they threw open their doors to different people. Thus, today, we have three other distinct categories of people associated with Ayilara family but they are not Imam Ayilaras. They include the “Ayilaras by slavery”; the “Ayilaras by studentship” (those who came to learn Arabic studies at our house and adopted our compounds as homes) and the “Ayilaras by extension of fellowship” (friends and other acquaintances hosted by us). Each of these groups have their origins other than Ayilara family though some of them pretend to be Ayilaras but we underline they share no blood affinity with us.
C. Usurpation by “Alfa” Teliat Yunus Olushina
5. There are six recognized Chief Imam families in Ogbomosoland – Bango, Alawiye, Abogunde, Aduinin, Ile Imam and Ayilara (not stated in order of rotation).
6. Following the demise of the last Grand Chief Imam, Sheikh Sanusi Ashafa, it became our turn to produce the Chief Imam. But through manipulations, deceits and lies, Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina was put forward by some powerful forces to rob us. We vehemently protested from the outset even before the screening but they succeeded in muzzling us. We lodged our protest at the Ogbomoso Palace but these powerful interests blocked our protest from reaching Kabiyesi then, His Imperial Majesty Oba (Dr) Jimoh Oladunni Oyewumi Ajagungbade III JP CON CFR. They had their way presenting him to the Kabiyesi. But it’s on record Baba was sceptical and was mentioning someone else’s name and so rejected Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina. This can be confirmed in a video clip. But because of the advanced age of the late Kabiyesi, Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina’s name sailed. We meanwhile continued to protest till the day he was issued Staff of Office in the Palace, on 19th November, 2021. Oba Ajagungbade III transited shortly after, on December 12, 2021, that’s 21 days after. This is to show the Kabiyesi was not in good frame to make an infallible decision.
7. Since we were convinced Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina is an usurper, we persisted in vigorous protest. We took the matter to the Soun-in-Council that administered the town in the absence of Soun. We equally expressed our grievances to the Body of the League of Imams and Alfas in Ogbomosoland.
8. The Soun-in-Council instituted a panel which carried out a thorough investigation. The panel discovered Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina has no blood affinity with Imam Ayilara family, whether male or female line. As a result, he was advised in writing to step aside from the Imamship of Ogbomosoland. That was on November 10, 2022. He however jettisoned the advice and instead proceeded to the Oyo State High Court sitting in Ogbomoso on 27th January, 2023, to refrain the Soun-in-Council from removing him, in suit no. HOG/2/2023.
9. On the heels of that, the Body of League of Imams and Alfas of Ogbomosoland also probed the allegation by inviting all the members of the Imam Ayilara family to present the history of the family. Only Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina shunned the panel.
10. Instead, he ordered the beating of one of the elders of the Imam Ayilara family, Alhaji Ibraheem Mahmud Ayilara. Some others including Alfa Usman Ayilara, Alfa Sikiru Ayilara, Alfa Yunus Kilani, Alfa Fatai Kilani and Alfa Tajudeen Jamiu, all from Imam Ayilara family, were also victims of the attack which occured at the Jumat service on 27th January, 2023. They were all beaten to stupor, rounded up and transfered to the Headquarters of the Oyo State Police Command at Eleyele, Ibadan. They were subsequently charged to the Iyaganku Chief Magistrate Court, Ibadan, in suit no n/73c/c2023.
11. On 3rd of September, 2023, an all encompassing meeting of the Imam Ayilara family descendants based in Ogbomoso and the diaspora was scheduled. The main aim was to hear Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina’s version of history. He was knew three weeks to the meeting. It should have come up earlier but he kept giving one excuse or the other to postpone it until he finally settled for September 3, 2023. The venue was our family compound at Isale-Afon. However, he orchestrated gun-wielding security agents to harass people in the area starting from about 6am and they occupied the venue. We quietly changed the venue. Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina did not attend neither did his cohorts claiming likewise they are from Ayilara family.
12. The meeting reassessed his claim and undertook another careful verification against the background of his claims in some forums in the past that he belonged to four different lineages (at various times). They are Abass lineage at Isale-Afon (an authentic Ayilara family); Aralamo at Ayilara, Isale-Afon; Fasasi Ile-Kewu, Oke-Agbede and Saka Amodu (Eja lonibu section of Ayilara, Isale-Afon). While he is not from Abass Ayilara family the three others have no blood affinity with us. So, we again found his claims false and we unanimously decided that Alfa Teliat Yunus Olusina has no genealogical relationship with Imam Ayilara family. And so, we issued a disclaimer letter. He should look for his father’s house somewhere else.
13. Thus, we had ceased to recognize Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina as Grand Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland since 3rd September, 2023.
D. Role of the Soun of Ogbomosoland His Imperial Majesty Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege III
14. Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina has been strenuously striving to enact a diversionary tactic. He is weaving the web of religious sentiment exploiting the Christian faith embraced by His Imperial Majesty Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege III, the Soun of Ogbomosoland. He is deceitfully yarning the thread that it was the Kabiyesi that’s surreptitiously scheming to remove him. We use this medium to state however that his claim is a subterfuge and cheap blackmail aimed at inciting emotion and sympathy. If you scrutinize the dates given above it will be uncovered without ambiguity that the struggle started before the reigning Kabiyesi came on board.
15. Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde FNSE, appointed a new king for Ogbomoso on 2nd September, 2023, and was installed by the Chiefs on 8th September, 2023.
16. Hardly had His Majesty settled down than we approached him with our grievance. Subsequently, Kabiyesi equally set up a fact-finding panel headed by the Abese of Ogbomosoland, High Chief Kasali Yusuf Oladipupo. Simultaneously, the Aare Musulumi of Ogbomosoland, Aare Alhaji Abdulganiyu Atanda Owodunni, constituted the leadership of Ogbomoso Muslim Ummah to also look into the matter.
17. After its assignment, the Abese Panel also came with the report that Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina has no paternity relationship with Imam Ayilara family. This was presented at an enlarged gathering of Muslim community convened by the Soun in the Ogbomoso Palace. The panel also recommended Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina to step aside from the Imamship and proceed to clear himself with the Imam Ayilara family. A video clip of the Abese addressing the Muslim community making this declaration is readily available.
18. Meanwhile, as the Aare Musulumi of Ogbomosoland Panel was in session, it received an urgent report that there was going to be another serious fracas at the Ogbomoso Central Mosque that week Friday. So, to avert crisis, the Aare Musulumi instructed the Pakoyi Adini of Ogbomosoland to lock up the Ogbomoso Central Mosque. This instruction was carried out. However, Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina gave order that the locks be smashed open by vandals. It was a serious pandemonium with the intervention of security agents helping to forestall breakdown of law and order.
19. The Aare Musulumi of Ogbomosoland and the Special Committee on Islamic Affairs of Ogbomosoland both similarly recommended Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina step aside so as to give peace a chance among the Ogbomoso Muslim community. He is nonetheless adamant.
20. Let it also be on record that an Islamic advocacy group, Ogbomoso Muslim Justice Forum (OMJF), which has also been in the forefront of the struggle and which indeed first raised the alarm, has also stood that the choice of the family be installed.
21. We state unequivocally that Imam Ayilara family of Ogbomosoland frowns at the deprecating insults consistently hurled at the Kabiyesi by the uncultured Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina and against Muslim organizations, individuals and sons and daughters of Ogbomosoland. We consider it as a pathetic act of desperation and a diversionary attempt to cover his fraud. We dissociate ourselves from his effrontery. We can never be part of that as we hold the Soun of Ogbomosoland in high esteem, whose dynasty made our forefathers Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland. It’s brazenness on his part too to have sued the Soun and the Soun-in-Council to court that they had no power to remove him even though they installed him.
22. Ayilara family is not in support of threat calls to Soun of Ogbomosoland and the Chiefs by the Chief Personal Assistants of Alfa Teliat Yunus as reported on 7th November, 2023, in Ogbomoso Insight news paper. Also, we condemn the attacks and molestations by hoodlums of individuals and family house on 28th December, 2022; 3rd September, 2023; 25th October, 2023; 26th October, 2023; and 6th February, 2024 in which various properties were destroyed and people seriously injured. Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina has been sent away from the Imam Ayilara family quarters of Ogbomoso long time ago since we detected that he is an imposter and not original son of Ayilara family of Ogbomoso.
23. Finally, gentlemen of the press, there is no person known as Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina in the Imam Ayilara family of Ogbomoso, he is an imposter and has been using the social media to blackmail the Soun of Ogbomsoland simply because he is a Christian, this is not a religious issue at all, it is purely a family affair to which we have now approached the court to give justice to this claim of an imposter. He has brought disrepute to the Imam Ayilara family, to the prestigious throne of Ogbomosoland and to the image of the entire Muslim Community of Ogbomosoland.
24. We the entire Imam Ayilara’s family of Ogbomoso do not know Alfa Teliat Yunu
s Olushina in our family neither is he from Ogbomosoland.
25. We thank you for your attention.
