10th September, 2019
PRESS RELEASE:
MURIC COMMENDS POLICE FOR ARRESTING ORO CULPRITS
Ogun State Police Command has arrested nine Oro worshippers who
attacked Muslims after imposing an illegal curfew. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi identified
the suspects as Dondo Sunday, Nurudeen Lawal, Idowu Desu, Monday Akinlolu, Dele
Dada, Raimi Jacob, Abiola Azeez, Olarewaju Akerele and Tetede Jamiu.
It will be recalled that the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), an
Islamic human rights organization had called for the arrest and prosecution of
Oro worshippers in its press statement issued last week (4th
September, 2019) for invading a mosque, injuring the Muslim worshippers and
damaging mosque properties.
Commenting on the arrests on Tuesday, 10th September,
2019, MURIC hailed the police for arresting the culprits.
The Director of the group said, “We commend Ogun State Police Command
for making these arrests. It is long overdue. Oro worshippers have for long exhibited
reckless impunity. They had become the Alpha and the Omega in Ipokia. They gave
adherents of other religions no peace.
“How can they be declaring
curfew at will and usurping the authority of both the local and state
governments? How can they be attacking and maiming people of other faiths and
even destroying properties without anyone calling them to order. This arrest
serves them right but it must not end there. They must be made to pay for
damaged mosque properties.
“They must also appear in court.
This case must not end at the police station. They have serious cases to
answer: breaking and entering, premeditated damage, occasioning grievous harm
and contempt of court. Ignorance and
religious bigotry are their major problems and they must be taught a lesson.
“The way the police handles this case will determine whether or not
there will be a lasting solution to the problem. Oro worshippers must be made
to realize that there is a constitution in this country. In particular, the
traditional ruler of the community must be told in black and white that he is
not the absolute ruler in the land and that he himself must submit to the
authority of the local, state and federal governments. Gone are the days when
traditional rulers brandished unlimited power and feudal tyranny.
“Above all, both the traditional ruler and the Oro worshippers must
submit to the supremacy of the law. In
this regard, they must obey subsisting court ruling on the modus operandi
of their Oro by restricting their operations to the hours between 12 am and 4
am or risk going to jail.
“MURIC calls on police
formations in the South West to borrow a leaf from their Ogun state
counterparts because the imposition of illegal curfews by Oro worshippers is not
restricted to Ipokia alone. It is very rampant in the sub-region. Ikorodu in
Lagos State has also been the hotbed of acrobatic extremism and gymnastic
criminality on the part of Oro worshippers. What the police needs to do in
order to subdue Oro worshippers and their hooliganism is to manifest gallantry
and professionalism.
“In our closing remarks, we commend Ogun Police Command for effecting
the arrest of Oro culprits. We strongly demand their arraignment in a court of
proper jurisdiction. We urge other police formations in the South West to deal
with violent and recalcitrant worshippers of Oro in their domain in like
manner.”
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
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