There was tension in Oke Agbe Akoko area of Akoko North Local Government Area in Ondo State as scores of masquerades allegedly invaded the house and mosque of the Chief Imam on Thursday, 12th June, 2025 and reportedly beat up the Imam’s wives and children.
The invasion and attack has led to tension in the community with the Islamic community condemning it and calling on law enforcement agencies to prosecute the perpetrators.
Islamic human rights organisation, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) described the attack as an evidence of growing anti-Muslim concerns which Muslims now face in Yoruba land and called for the prosecution of the attackers.
The reaction was contained in a statement issued by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola on Monday, 16th June, 2025.
It read “We strongly condemn this attack. It is weird, irrational and barbaric. This attack is another evidence of increased anti-Muslim proclivities which Muslims now face in Yoruba land.
“To add salt to injury, the king of the town imposed fines on the Muslim victims after the attack allegedly because the Muslim women ‘screamed and cursed the masquerades while they were being beaten instead of crying and begging.
”The Imam and his wives were therefore ordered to bring nine goats, seven sheep and 200 pieces of kolanuts as fines not later than Monday 16th June, 2025 (today) or they would all be banished from the city while no one should practice Islam in the area henceforth. Nothing was said about the masquerades who attacked the women.
“MURIC regards this as a miscarriage of justice. The king’s judgement stands in contra distinction to the principles of natural justice. This is 21st century Nigeria and we are supposed to be in a democracy for crying out loud. It is crude, archaic, parochial and draconian. This fine must not stand.
”We demand justice for the Muslim victims. We urge the Ondo State Government to curb the excesses of the king of Oke-Agbe Akoko. Nothing must happen to the Imam, his wives and children. That banishment order must be rescinded.
“Besides, a case of assault occasioning harm has been established. We urge the Ondo State Police Command to arrest and prosecute the attackers. They are neither anonymous nor ghosts because their leaders are well known.
“We commend the police in Oke Agbe for making it possible for the Muslims to observe the Friday prayer the next day even when there were attempts to stop them.
“We implore the police to ensure that this case is not swept under the carpet. Injustice anywhere is an invitation to injustice everywhere and the culprits in the valley today may become the helpless victims on the hills tomorrow. That is the paradoxical cycle of injustice.
”The masquerades of Oke Agbe have just confirmed our fears about the fate of Muslims in the South West. Yoruba land has become another Siberia for Yoruba Muslims. It is persecution galore. The number of cases reported to MURIC on a daily basis is alarming.
“Yoruba Muslims face political marginalisation via deprivation of political appointments at both federal and state levels. They are impoverished with economic strangulation through denial of jobs.
“A robust curriculum vitae coupled with a Muslim name is a sure way to join the army of unemployed youths in Yorubaland. The statistics are staggering.
“Yoruba Muslim students are traumatized with educational repression by denying them admission to study attractive courses like medicine, engineering, accountancy, etc. They are downpressed with social ostracisation by treating them with contempt and constantly violating their Allah-given fundamental human rights.
“All the noise about religious tolerance in the South West are mere political statements, sheer rhetorics and empty propaganda. Yoruba Muslims have never been integrated into the mainstream Yoruba society. These are the issues Yoruba nation activists and some South West governments are trying to run away from.”
