FACT CHECK: Did the Oyo Commissioner of Police resolve the lingering Imam feud in Ogbomoso?
Khalid ABRAHAM
Social media is recently awash with the news that the lingering conflict over the right of the Chief Imam of Ogbomoso Sheikh Teliat Ayilara, to continue to occupy the position in the face of his disagreement with his family and the Soun of Ogbomoso Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, has been resolved aftermath an accord meeting initiated by the Oyo state Commissioner of Police Ayodele Sonubi. Terms of resolution according to various media reports are a request for apology from the Chief Imam, withdrawal of court cases instituted by the Imam against the Soun, pulling down of his social media posts many which which were considered “hate speeches,” among others. This development ogbomosoinsightonline.com learnt has been received with mixed feelings with some supporting it and some slamming the manner it allegedly unfolded. This provoked the activation of the fact checking machinery of Ogbomoso Insight to verify the truth.
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What was found out?
In the first instance, it is discovered that none of the parties involved – the Soun of Ogbomoso, the Chief Imam and the Commissioner of Police – has issued any official statement corroborating or dismissing the development, this automatically casts a doubt over its veracity.
This leads to the second point. All the media platforms that reported the matter did not make any verifiable attribution, they all quoted, “according to sources,” this also casts a pall of dubiety on the report.
The resolution of such an important matter that has polarized a whole community should have been affirmed with a public statement, duly signed by the parties or their cronies, to authenticate the resolution. But there is none. It is mum from all sides. Perhaps an oath was signed not to divulge what happened to the public.
Photos have been circulated purportedly taken following subsequent visits of the Imam to the palace. But subjected to proper scrutiny the photos are discovered to be old photographs before the escalation of the crisis.
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Then, there is the angle of the Ayilara family, whose disclaimer is the genesis of the conflict and the rejection of the Imam by the League of Imams and Alfas in the town, were they at the meeting to state their own sides before a truce is declared?
In the light of these observations it looks as if some people just put up the stories to calm tension and nerves, assuage feelings and give an impression of “peace in our time.”
We watch events as they unfold.
