3rd July, 2025
PRESS RELEASE:
3 MASQUERADERS REMANDED IN ENUGU, ALLEGED APOLOGY IN ONDO:
MURIC TASKS ONDO POLICE ON A TALE OF 2 ATTACKS, 2 COMMANDS
An Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim
Rights Concern (MURIC), has called attention to the arrest of three
masqueraders by the police in Enugu for assaulting members of the public
whereas apology alone came from Ondo over a worse offence by masquerades in Oke-Agbe,
Ondo State.
The organization therefore tasked the Ondo State
Police Command to explain why an ordinary letter of apology is all the Muslim
victims of Oke Agbe masquerade attack deserve after an Imam, his wives and
children were brutally attacked since 12th June, 2025.
This was made known to newsmen in a press statement issued on Thursday,
3rd July, 2025 by Professor Ishaq Akintola, Director and Founder of
the organization.
The statement reads:
“Three masqueraders, Emeka Eze, Omeke Uchechukwu,
and Malachi Michael, who assaulted members of the public and inflicted bodily
harm on them have been arrested by the Enugu State Police Command (https://guardian.ng/news/nigeria/metro/three-masqueraders-arraigned-remanded-in-enugu/).
“The incident occurred along Aku Road, Nsukka, Enugu State on 22nd
June, 2025 while celebrating the Oriokpa Masquerade in Enugu. The three have
been arraigned and remanded in the Nigerian Correctional Custodial Centre in
the state. The case was adjourned to July 31, 2025, for
further hearing.
“It will be recalled that masquerades also invaded
the mosque and house of an Imam at Oke Agbe, Akoko, Ondo State on Thursday, 12th June,
2025. The attackers mercilessly brutalised the Imam’s wives and children. It is
noteworthy that all the Muslims got from a parley involving the police, the
victims and the attackers is an alleged letter of apology.
“We are obliged to compare and contrast the two
incidents. It is a tale of two attacks in two different states: one in Ondo,
the other in Enugu. The Ondo attack occurred first, since 12th June
yet there has been no arrests, just meetings. The Enugu attack occurred almost
two weeks later, on 22nd June but arrests were made immediately. The
suspects were arraigned and remanded. These contrasting developments must
arouse the curiosity of honest Nigerians.
“In our humble view, the offence of Ondo
masquerades is worse because they attacked people of another faith. They beat
up the Imam, his wives and children and invaded a mosque. Violence against
women is involved. It is also aggravated provocation considering the fact that
the attack generated tons of tension among Nigerian Muslims. It was therefore
capable of igniting religious crisis whose consequences cannot be pre-determined.
“Although we called for the arrest of the perpetrators
of that hideous crime (https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/06/attack-on-ondo-muslim-leader-family-muric-calls-for-arrest-prosecution-of-perpetrators/#google_vignette),
none has been arrested at least not to our knowledge, if any.
“We stand to be corrected if arrests have been
made in this regard but such information is not in the public domain as at the
time of issuing our statement. Instead of arrests, all we have been hearing is
meetings upon meetings.
“We therefore call on the Ondo State Police
Command to make clarifications regarding the alleged letter of apology because
MURIC does not engage in mischief-making.
“We believe that those who
claim to be making attempts at dousing tension are looking for ways to coerce victims
of the attack. The police should be able to read between the lines.
“It was the same people who
imposed outrageous fines on the victims: nine goats, seven sheep and 200 pieces
of kolanuts! That was after being thoroughly beaten and hospitalized. The law
should therefore have been allowed to take its full course. The sanctity of the
rule of law has been challenged here.
“This issue has gone beyond the Imam of Oke Agbe
and his family alone. Locus standi not withstanding, the attack generated
a lot of heat across Nigeria. That is why any outcome, particularly what the
Ondo State Police Command does with the matter should be generally acceptable
to the direct victims (the Imam and his family) as well as the indirect victims
(Nigerian Muslim community) of the attack.
“The general public is concerned. Muslims throughout
the country are asking questions. They want to know if masquerades have the
right to molest innocent people at will.
“They want to know if the adherents of one faith
have the right to invade the homes and places of worship of others and inflict
grievous harm on followers of another religion. They want to know if
masquerades and their backers have immunity from arrest. They want to know if
the adherents of different religions are equal before the law.
“Outright police inaction or its treatment of attacks
on Muslims with kid gloves will naturally encourage other attacks. This has
been demonstrated by examples of other attacks on Muslims in the same zone with
little or no police reaction.
“Exempli gratia, masquerades attacked Muslim
worshippers inside Ikun-Ekiti Central Mosque, Moba Local Government Area of
Ekiti State on 31st May, 2017. The Chief Imam, Alhaji Abdul-Rasak Abubakar-Bello, received
several stitches on his head at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital,
Ado-Ekiti. Five other Muslim worshippers were hospitalized after that attack.
“The records are there in the hospital. Fortunately,
too, internet does not forget (https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/06/masquerades-invade-mosque-attack-worshippers-destroy-properties-ekiti/#google_vignette).
But there is no record of any arrests. `
“Had arrests been made on every
occasion in which masquerades and traditionalists attacked Muslims in the past,
the brazen and unprovoked attacks on mosques and Imams, particularly in Ondo
and Ekiti states would have stopped. It must also be noted that Muslims have
always been the victims, not the attackers.
“We are shocked by the emerging sharp contrast
despite the fact that the same laws being used in Enugu State are being used in
Ondo. Both states are also in the same country applying the same constitution. Nay,
it is the same Nigeria Police.
“We want Ondo Police Command to educate us. What
is the use of a letter of apology to the Muslim victims and the Nigerian Muslim
community after the unprovoked attack, the physical injuries on wives and
children and the widespread psychological trauma suffered by Nigerian Muslims? If
it is different strokes for different folks, should it be different actions for
different faiths by the police?”
#OndoPoliceCommand
#JusticeForOkeAgbeMuslimVictims
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Founder/Executive Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
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