9th April, 2025
PRESS RELEASE:
MOSQUE
DEMOLITION: MURIC TACKLES AFENIFERE FOR DEFENDING OPEYEMI BAMIDELE
Sequel to an allegation levelled by the Muslim
Rights Concern (MURIC) that Senate leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, knew about the
demolition of Sabo Central Mosque, Aramoko, Ekiti State, the chairman of
Afenifere, Ekiti State chapter, Mr. Gabriel Alonge, released a press statement
yesterday, 8th April, 2025 in which he defended the Senate leader.
The Afenifere chieftain claimed that MURIC’s
allegation was an incitement. It therefore charged the Department of State
Security (DSS) to monitor the activities of MURIC.
Reacting to Afenifere’s statement on Wednesday, 9th
April, 2025, the Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, accused
Afenifere of lying and nursing pathological bias against Yoruba Muslims.
The group insisted that Yoruba Muslims are not
bastards but bona fide children of Yoruba soil who also deserve to be
protected by Afenifere, a task the latter has left undone as it elected to encourage
those who are oppressing Yoruba Muslims.
MURIC added:
“Following our statement of Monday, 7th
April, 2025 captioned ‘MURIC Condemns Demolition of 2 Mosques in Ekiti’ in
which we alleged that the Senate leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, knew about the
demolition of Sabo Central Mosque, Aramoko, Ekiti State, the chairman of
Afenifere, Ekiti State chapter, Mr. Gabriel Alonge, released a press statement
yesterday, 8th April, 2025 in
which he defended the Senate leader (https://abiodunborisade.com/aramoko-ekiti-mosque-demolition-afenifere-defends-opeyemi-bamidele-against-allegations-by-muric/).
“The Afenifere chieftain claimed that MURIC’s
allegation was an incitement. It therefore charged the Department of State
Security (DSS) to monitor our activities (https://bushradiogist.com/afenifere-raises-alarm-muric-director-posing-danger-to-national-unity/).
“First and foremost, we stand by our statement and
we take Afenifere’s remarks with a pinch of salt. The Senate Leader owns the
constituency project for which the mosque was pulled down. It was therefore not
possible for him not to know that his project would affect the mosque which was
existing on the land.
“Were there no drawings for
the construction? Was the owner of the constituency project not briefed by the
architect? What about the project engineer? Did he not brief his client? Was
there no personal visit by the Senate Leader or his aides to the site of the
project? Was it an empty land? Or do we want to infer, a priori, negligence or
incompetence in the execution of the project?
“Afenifere should stop
defending the indefensible and allow Opeyemi Bamidele to do the needful,
namely, to engage the local Muslim community in dialogue. Is that too much to
ask for? Is that incitement? Afenifere is hiding behind one finger.
“Afenifere has taken sides by defending the
demolition of the mosque. Neutrality would have been the best stand of the organization
when the issue involves a religious group since Afenifere wants Nigerians to
believe that it is not out to push a Christian agenda. Fact-finding, neutrality
and objectivity would have promoted dialogue and subsequent mutual
understanding.
“Afenifere has exposed itself as a group with
vested interest by defending Opeyemi Bamidele. It is an exhibition of anti-Muslim
sentiment. Afenifere appears to be happy that mosques are being demolished
methodically and systematically in Ekiti State.
“Of course this demolition of
mosques in the state has a long history. It is not a new phenomenon. It started
during the first tenure of Ayodele Fayose's administration in Ekiti, precisely
in 2005 and MURIC cried out at the time (https://dailytrust.com/muric-warns-fayose-against-planned-demolition-of-4-mosques/).
“He first demolished the Old Prison Staff mosque. The
mosque at the State Housing Estate, built by the Egbira community was the next.
OkeSha mosque in Ado Ekiti was demolished in 2006 ostensibly to pave way for
road dualization. In 2012, the Fayemi-led administration demolished Igbein Mosque,
allegedly to avoid a clash with an idol worshippers' shrine in the area.
“The Fayemi administration also demolished a big
Hausa mosque at Atikankan to make way for another Otu shrine, relocating the
Hausa community to New Shasha at the outskirts of Ado Ekiti.
“In the recent demolitions under discussion, two
other mosques were demolished: one at Sabo, Aramoko because of a constituency
project initiated by Senator Opeyemi Bamidele; the other in the same Igbein area
of Ado Ekiti about six months ago.
“How can Islam survive in a
Muslim community that loses two big mosques in six months? How can the Muslims
worship freely and safely where every new regime joins the Mosque Destroyers’
Club (MDC)? The conspirators know what they are doing. There seems to be a plot
among traditional and political leaders in Ekiti State in particular to eliminate
Islam through multiple demolition of mosques.
“It is becoming more and more obvious by the day that
there is a conspiracy targeting mosques for demolition in Ekiti State. Otherwise
why is every regime keen on overdoing its predecessor in the race for the demolition
of mosques? Why are the traditional rulers issuing arbitrary orders to Muslims
to vacate their mosques and close their Shari’ah panels? (https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2025/01/26/ekiti-monarch-disbands-sharia-panel-summons-islamic-leaders/).
“Afenifere does not care for the interest of
Yoruba Muslims but there is nothing it can do about us. Yoruba Muslims cannot
be expelled from the land of their forefathers. We are bona fide children
of Yoruba soil despite the fact that Afenifere has never said anything positive
about us.
“Afenifere knew about the persecution of Yoruba
Muslim children in public and private schools in the region, the denial of the
use of Shari’ah for Yoruba Muslims, the political marginalization, economic
strangulation and social ostracisation of Muslims in the region by their Yoruba
kinsmen. Has Afenifere ever defended the rights of Muslims in the land?
“Some Yoruba youths threatened to unleash violence
on Yoruba Muslim leaders a few weeks ago over the Shari’ah panel imbroglio. It
was in viral video clips but nobody heard the voice of Afenifere. An
intermediary role in the saga would have proved that Afenifere is for all
Yorubas regardless of religious leaning. But Afenifere looked the other way
because what those youths threatened to do to Muslim leaders keyed into
Afenifere’s scheme.
“Afenifere is a biased organization that operates
like a cultural wing of the Christian Organisation of Nigeria (CAN) in the
South West masquerading as a socio-cultural organization.
“Afenifere has asked the DSS
to monitor the activities of MURIC. But what we know is that Afenifere cannot
give DSS orders. The DSS knows its onions. Afenifere should stop being naïve. There
is no notable organization that DSS does not monitor as a matter of routine,
including Afenifere. So how can a group that is being monitored issue orders to
those monitoring it to monitor a perceived rival group.
“Afenifere claimed that we
incited Nigerians in our statement. That is a big lie from the pit of Jahannam.
Nobody should take Afenifere serious after this. Our statement ended with a
plea for calm among Muslims. This was in the last paragraph where we said, ‘Meanwhile
we appeal to Muslims in the state to remain calm and unperturbed. Islam is a
religion of peace and we expect every Muslim to be a good ambassador of his or
her religion’. It can still be checked. Internet does not tell lies like
Afenifere (https://www.muricnigeria.com/muric-condemns-demolition-of-2-mosques-in-ekiti/)
“Nigerians can see very clearly that Afenifere is
looking for ways of implicating MURIC or at least, to smear our good image. But
they have failed woefully. We remain undaunted.
“Afenifere also tried to hoodwink Nigerians by
saying that the Muslims of Aramoko were happy with the demolition of their
mosque because the Chief Imam was present at the commissioning of the market.
“We respectfully disagree. The Chief Imam was ‘officially
present’ at the commissioning as demanded by protocol. Muslims in Aramoko complained
to MURIC about the demolition of their mosque. They also issued press statements
on their own.
“The first paragraph of one of the statements
published in a newspaper on 29th March, 2025 (i.e. even before MURIC
reacted at all) reads, ‘The Muslim community in Aramoko Ekiti, Ekiti West Local
Government Area of Ekiti State, has raised concerns over what it described as
systemic marginalization following the demolition of two of its mosques within
a six-month period. (https://prnigeria.com/2025/03/29/muslim-community-protest/?).
“Was it MURIC that wrote that? We have our facts.
Afenifere should do its home work very well next time instead of lying.
“We know the antics of our detractors in this
region. We can therefore ask Afenifere when it is going to sponsor a non-existing
Islamic organization using fake Muslim names to attack MURIC after this?
“When will Afenifere lie to
the world that Osama Bin Laden of Al-Qaidah came from his grave, came to
Nigeria, visited our office and gave MURIC 100 billion dollars? Our oppressors
have tried all sorts of tricks in the past just to get at us. Well, we are
waiting and Allah is watching and Verily Indeed, Allah is the best in watching
and in laying ambush (Qur’an 89:14).”
#AfenifereLied
#OpeyemiBamidele
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Founder/Executive Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).
