Some indigenes of Iseyin, under the umbrella of Ebedi Frontliners,
Iseyin have petitioned Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State to intervene
in what they termed ‘a brewing religious crisis’ in Iseyin town before
it results to killings and vandalization of properties.
The group made this known via a letter sent to the Governor, a copy
of which was made available to DAILY POST on Tuesday in Ibadan, the
state capital.
They referred to a court summon in which Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba
Ganiy Adekunle, the traditional council of Iseyin local government and
the leader of Oro sect in Iseyin were respondents.
In the summon, some Muslims were seeking an injunction to stop the
celebration of Oro Festival which had been slated for the 22nd of
September 2019.
DAILY POST gathered that Iseyin community has been known with the
celebration of the Oro festival among other traditional celebrations,
but during the Oro festival, women were not to be seen in the public to
avoid seeing the Oro masquerade.
Publicity Director of the group, Segun Fasasi said the group heard
that the Muslims went to court to seek injunction to stop the
celebration of Oro festival, adding that the move was an attempt to
create crisis in the peaceful community.
Members of Ebedi Frontliners while calling for calm, urged the
governor to look into the case and put all security agencies on the
alert to avert possible breakdown of law and order by those they
described as intolerant of other people’s religion.
Fasasi said, “Our attention was called to a brewing religious
crisis in Iseyin community recently as an Islamic religious sect was
said to have approached a court in Ibadan, the State capital to get an
injunction for the purpose of preventing the adherents of Oro to
celebrate their annual Oro festival.
“Sir, we heard this action was premised on the fact that the
Oro traditional worshippers have picked 22nd of September as the day
that was sanctioned by the Royal father, Oba Abd-Ganiy Adekunle, Aseyin
of Iseyin and other stakeholders, regarding security issues.
“We write as a socio-political organization that believes in
peace as a pre-requisite for growth and social development and as well
share the lofty idea that Your Excellency’s administration holds high
and sacred so that Oyo State will not go back to the days of the dark.
“It is a known fact that Nigeria is a secular State and allows
for freedom of religion, but in the years past, the people of the
community have witnessed violent attacks by some religious zealots who
claimed to be fighting for Islam against the Oro worshipers, resulting
in loss of lives and valuable properties.
“We will be happy if your administration makes haste to
pre-empt any plan to cause havoc in the community, which may lead to
loss of lives and destruction of properties as our people have been
enjoying relative peace since the emergence of your administration.”
The group pledged their loyalty to the progress of the State which
they said was being witnessed by all and sundry in the areas of
education, commerce and quality healthcare delivery.
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