Oro adherents invade mosque, pelt Imam, congregation with stones

Some Oro adherents, on Saturday, invaded a mosque in Idi-Iroko in the Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State and pelted the Imam and the congregation with stones.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the Muslims incurred the wrath of the traditionalists by coming out during the Oro festival to observe their prayers.

The Wakeelul Muslimeen of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta states, Sheikh Iskeel Lawal, said the incident happened during the observance of the afternoon (Suhr) prayer at the mosque.

While explaining the reason for the attack, Lawal said residents of the community had been warned by the Oro adherents not to go out during their festival on Saturday.

He said Muslims in the area first complied with the directive, but later came out to observe the afternoon prayer, which led to the attack on them by the Oro traditionalists inside the mosque.

Lawal stated, “The incident occurred around 1.18pm on Saturday  when our Muslim brothers were observing the Suhr prayer at the Umar bin Khatab Mosque at Odan-Aje, behind the General Hospital, Idi-Iroko.

“The Oro adherents invaded the mosque and pelted the Imam and the congregation with stones, and chased them away. They later destroyed the property in the mosque.”

While warning against religious crisis in the state, the Islamic leader said, “We condemn the action of the Oro adherents and urge the government to intervene in the issue before it escalates.

“It is not in the 1999 Nigerian Constitution that no one, whether he is a Muslim or not, must not go out on a particular day or time because of the Oro festival.

“Everybody is free to practice what he wants; no one should impose his ideology on another person. The government must intervene before it becomes too late.”

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident.

He said the command had arrested some of the perpetrators.

When asked for the number of the suspects arrested, Oyeyemi promised to call our correspondent back, but had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.