Egba Muslim leadership crisis: Oloyede, Ishola intervene, seek peace among actors

Two prominent indigenes of Egbaland Ogun State have intervened in the suspension of the Chief Imam of Egbaland, Alhaji Saad Bamgbola.

They also appealed to the entire Egba Muslim community to sheathe their sword on the consequent suspension of the Egba Chiefs who took part in the suspension.

The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede; and Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, who is also the Baba Adeen of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta states, Ambassador Sarafa Tunji Ishola, urged Muslims in the land to embrace peace and unity of the religion at this point in time.

Isola who spoke online from the United Kingdom to newsmen in Abeokuta, said he and Oloyede, as high stakeholders, had fully engaged all those involved in the dispute in serious peace talks and urged them to ceasefire immediately.

The ambassador further stated that they had persuaded all those involved to maintain the peace and not take any further action that might aggravate the already tense situation.

He added, “All those involved have accepted a ceasefire pending further action to resolve all the issues. Steps are being taken at the level of the Alake of Egbaland for an enduring resolution that will promote peace, mutual respect and understanding among the Muslim leadership and followership within the Egba Muslim community.”

The Nigerian envoy enjoined all Muslim leaders involved in the crisis not to issue or make further press statements concerning the matter until further notice.

He added that it was in the best interest of Islamic peace, progress and prosperity that Islamic schism be avoided at all costs in Egbaland, Ogun State and elsewhere in Nigeria.

Recall that there was confusion in Abeokuta on Tuesday when the news of the suspension of the Chief Imam of Egbaland, Alhaji Saad Bamgbola was reported.

Some notable Muslims in Egbaland had on Monday announced the suspension of Bamgbola over allegations of “high-handedness, administrative exclusivity, mishandling of funds and conflicting of interest between his position as the Chief Imam and membership of another association”.

Aggrieved Egba Muslim chiefs, led by the former Military Administrator of Bauchi State, Navy Captain Rasheed Raji (retd.) had announced the suspension of the Chief Imam.

The Imams and Alfas in the Egba community rejected the suspension of the grand Chief Imam by the Chiefs.

They described the suspension of their leader as an “embarrassment to the Islamic religion and an act capable of causing religious war in the town”.

The three principal Chief Imams who make up the other three sections of Egbaland, had condemned the suspension during a press conference on Tuesday.

They said only the council of Islamic clerics in the town had the power to appoint or suspend the Chief Imam.

The Imams are the Imams of Owu, Gbagura and Oke-Ona Egba, Alhaji Kehinde Sulaimon; Professor Kamaldeen Balogun and Alhaji Muslimudeen Nasirudeen, respectively.

Also speaking on behalf of the Muslim community after a meeting at Kobiti Central Mosque in Abeokuta on Tuesday, the Chief Imam had said the suspension of the grand Chief Imam was null and void as it did not follow the stipulated process of appointment and removal of Imams in the land.