1 week Ago By Abiodun Nejo
The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, has warned groups, individuals and interests against making statements or introducing practices and actions that can endanger peaceful coexistence among the residents of Ekiti and other southwest states. The Ekiti State Chairman of Afenifere, Gabriel Alonge, faulted the statement credited to the Executive Director of Muslim Rights Concerns, Prof Ishaq Akintola. Akintola, in a statement, said the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, had declared war on Muslims over the alleged demolition of a mosque in Aramoko Ekiti, Ekiti State.
He accused Bamidele of demolishing a mosque to pave the way for his constituency project, a market, in Aromoko, Ekiti West Local Government. The MURIC leader stated, “We are surprised that a politician of immense exposure at the federal level in the person of no less a personality as Opeyemi Bamidele, who has risen to the status of Senate Leader in Nigeria, could give the green light to the perpetration of such a dastardly act against a section of his constituents, simply because they are Muslims.” Alonge, in a statement made available in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, however, described Akintola’s comment as “unfounded, unguided and capable of endangering peaceful co-existence among brothers of different religious leanings and stoking the embers of religious conflict in Ekiti State and by extension south-west states.
” Afenifere called on intelligence agencies, especially the Nigeria Police and Department of State Services “to put Akintola under check for making comments that can stoke religious conflict in the region. “Consequently, Afenifere called on the police and DSS to start profiling every individual making statements that endanger the region’s peaceful coexistence or any group promoting unsecular practices anywhere in the South-west and Nigeria at large.” The group stated: “We read the press statement of Prof Ishaq Akintola with grave concerns.
“We have also dug deeper into the veracity of his claims that Senator Bamidele declared war on Muslims for demolishing a mosque in Aramoko Ekiti, the headquarters of Ekiti West Local Government Area, Ekiti State. “Our findings revealed that Senator Bamidele facilitated the reconstruction of Alara Modern Market in Aramoko Ekiti. Related News Redesign Nigeria's security architecture, Afenifere urges FG Afenifere rejects N’Assembly bill on indigeneship by marriage Emergency rule: Lawyer urges court to sack Rivers administrator, Afenifere attacks Akpabio “We also found out that the market, comprising 60 open shops and 40 lock-up shops, was inaugurated on the 28th of March 2025 and handed over to Alara-in-Council and Ekiti West Local Government, the two original owners of the property.
” Afenifere said it found out that the Chief Imam of Aramoko Ekiti, Alfa Raheem Bamigbola, offered the opening prayer at the inauguration of the market. It stated: “Where did Prof Akintola get his information? For us, at Afenifere, this is a deliberate attempt to destabilise Ekiti State shortly after we got over ripples that their plan to establish the Shariah arbitration panel in some southwest states had triggered. “It is quite disappointing that Prof Akintola can make such a statement that can cause disaffection, even conflict, among brothers and sisters, not only in Aramoko and Ekiti State but also in the region.
“South-west is the only part of the federation that has enjoyed some level of peace and stability. We are completely averse to any move or statement that can undermine our peace and stability in part of the region.” Also, the Chairman of Ekiti West Local Government, Moses Omojola, dismissed Akintola’s allegations, saying, “We categorically state that this allegation is false, malicious and a gross misrepresentation of the facts.
” Omojola stated that MURIC’s claims were “designed to inflame religious sentiment and undermine the credibility of the federal legislator whose developmental efforts across Ekiti State had been inclusive and community-driven. “The land used (by Bamidele) for the market project in question was officially allocated to the Senate Leader by the Alara-in-Council and Ekiti West Local Government to construct an ultra-modern market to serve the people of Aramoko and surrounding communities. “The structure claimed by the MURIC Director to be a mosque was, in fact, an unauthorised and incomplete building without any approved building plan or documentation.
It was not recognised as a mosque by either the Alara-in-Council or the local government. “The attempt to label Senator Bamidele’s developmental project as an act of religious hostility is deeply unfortunate and unfounded. “We urge MURIC and its leadership to refrain from divisive rhetoric and to verify their claims before issuing inflammatory statements.
Senator Bamidele remains committed to the service of all, irrespective of faith,” the council boss stated..
