Court remands five Oro cultists for attacking mosque, Muslims

Justice A.O Adeyemi of Ado-Odo Ota magistrate court sitting in Ota area of Ogun State has remanded five Oro worshippers in prison custody for attacking a mosque and injuring a Muslim in the Ipokia area of the state on Tuesday.

The five accused persons; Waliu Adeola, Moses Olorunwa, Agemo Rafiu, Idowu Abaru and Akande Yusuf, were arraigned on a four-count charge of contempt of court, conspiracy, assault occasioning arms and unlawful assembly.

It was gathered that in contravention of a court order and memoranda of understanding signed by the stakeholders, the traditionalists had, on Saturday, imposed a daylight curfew on the community preparatory to this year’s Oro festival.

Another 24 hours curfew was said to have been imposed next Saturday which is the seventh day and 17^th day of the festival.

Violence broke out when the traditionalists traced one Islamic faithful, Bola Wasiu, from his mosque to his house and inflicted matchete cut on his head.

Wasiu was said to have led his households to the mosque and back home, and was said to be on his way to his farm to feed his fish when he was allegedly attacked and macheted.

He was said to have been rushed to the hospital where he was given medical attention while two of his attackers, Waliu and Moses were apprehended and handed over to the police.

While at the hospital, another set of Oro worshippers also reportedly descended on Umar Bin Khattab mosque at Idi-Iroko Ajegunle and worshippers inside the mosque.

The mosque has been a subject of attack in the last three years when the Oro festival is ongoing.

The Chief Imam of the Mosque, Adul Waliy Omo-Akin and the Chief Imam of Tube mosque, Abdul Wahab Olawale Adekunle, had, in a viral video before the commencement of the festival appealed to the government to come to their aid, affirming that the Oro worshiper in the area were known for breaking the law.

Omo-Akin explained that the leaders of the Oro worshippers had absented themselves from a stakeholders meeting called by the DPO of Ipokia to intimate them of the ban on daylight curfew and the need for the Oro worshippers to restrict themselves to 12 am – 4 pm as directed by an existing court judgment.

Omo-Akin said instead or coming to the meeting, the Oro worshippers were allegedly going from shops to shops and houses to houses belonging to Muslims, warning them to obey the curfew.

He further alleged that the worshippers were bragging that they had the approval of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Governor Dapo Abiodun to go ahead with their daylight curfew.

While charging the government to be alive to their responsibilities, Omo-Akin noted that female government officials including police officers, immigration officers, etc were always abiding by the illegal curfew.

He also alleged that government offices including hospitals are always closed during the outlawed curfew.

The Ogun State Police Spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi, while speaking on the development said the traditionalists have been severally invited to Abeokuta for peace talks and warned against daylight curfew.

He said that the Commissioner of Police had also visited the area to sensitise the people on why it is illegal to impose daylight curfew on people in the 21st century.

The PPRO wondered why a group of people would, all in the name of the Oro festival, prevent Muslims and Christians from serving their God and going about their lawful businesses.

Oyeyemi said, “There is nowhere a person or group of person, under the guise of carrying out your religious activity, will now declare curfew in daylight. What about other people who also want to worship God in their own way?

“So, they mean the Christians should not go to church, Muslims should not go to the mosque and the children should not go to school? Where does that happen in this 21st century?

“These ones have been arrested and charged to court. The court admitted them on bail but they are yet to perfect their bail conditions. Of course, they will be remanded till they meet their bail conditions,” h said.

The case has however been adjourned till 24 of August.

(Daily Independent)