‘We’re sitting on keg of powder,’ grp urges Makinde to intervene in Ogbomoso, Iseyin crises
Khalid ABRAHAM
A group, Muslim Community of Oyo state, has called on the state governor Engr Seyi Makinde to urgently wade into the festering Imamship tussle in Ogbomoso and the alleged attack on some women in purdah (eleha) in Iseyin during the last Eid-el-Adha festival.
The Muslim group in a press statement signed by its chairman and secretary general, Alhaji Ishaq Kunle Sanni and Alhaji Murisiku Abidemi Siyanbade respectively and titled, “Gov. Seyi Makinde, Ogbomoso Imamship issue and assault on ‘Eleha’ by C.A.C. pastor at Iseyin are serious security issues,” emphasized the governor needed to act fast to avert the issues from snowballing into religious crises.
“A stitch in time saves nine! The problems surrounding the Imamship issue in Ogbomoso and the religious crisis that happened on the day of the last Eid-up-Adha (Ileya) festival are serious threats to the peace of Oyo State. In fact, we are sitting on a keg of gunpowder,” the statement reads in part.
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“The Governor of Oyo State, H.E. Seyi Makinde, as the Chief Security Officer of the State should better take pro-active action now, to avert avoidable breach of security.”
On the imamship tussle in Ogbomoso, the group regretted that an intra-family altercation has degenerated into a frightening dimension, disclosing various interventionist efforts by various mediation forces have proved abortive.
“The Muslim Community of Oyo State has made various unsuccessful efforts at mediation. In fact, another Elders’ Committee of the Muslim Community, led by Prof. D.O.S. Noibi also had many interactions with the two feuding camps and some Ogbomoso elites, who are interested parties in the matter. The last meeting of the warring groups took Prof. Noibi’s Elders Committee to Ogbomoso. More recently, Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta, Alhaji Dawud Makanjuola Akinola, also assembled many Muslim leaders and met with the two warring camps.
“All these efforts have yielded little fruits. Ogbomoso youths in support of the Imam, are restive; the other camp is also charging.”
The group highlighted that “the recent query issued to the Imam, Sheikh Dr. Taliat Yunus Ayilara while on Hajj in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, from where he has just returned, is another big straw further exacerbating the imbroglio,” noting only the government has the power to enforce whatever decision is taken.
“We hereby call on His Excellency, The Governor of Oyo State to take up the gauntlet, summon all parties to the feud, mediate, do the needful and enforce,” while informing it’s not unmindful of the various cases in court but that “the government has a responsibility to ensure there is no breach of security. Matters can be settled out of court.”
On the Iseyin crisis, the group condemning the alleged assault on the family of Sheikh Sulaiman on Ileya day by ”a group of aggressors who came in Nigerian Army uniform, led by, Damilola Stephen, the soldier-son of Sheikh Sulaiman Abdul-Azeez’s neighbour, Pastor Stephen Busari,” leading to bodily injuries to his Eleha wives, urged Governor Makinde to address the matter and ensure justice is served.
It said that is important to prevent possible breakdown of law and order in the community, while charging government to enforce the law on noise pollution which it claimed caused the crisis.
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“Additionally, it needs be mentioned that, the beginning of the Iseyin crisis was noise disturbance by the church.
“Taking a cue from the Iseyin crisis and to avoid such occurrence in other places, we suggest that government needs to activate the Oyo State Law Against Pollution, for peaceful co-existence among adherents of different faiths. They should be made to come to the reality that, where their own right stops is where the rights of others begin.”
