There was violence in Ikun Ekiti, in the Moba Local Government Area, on
Tuesday as masqueraders attacked Muslims in the Central Mosque for
allegedly disturbing the Egungun festival.
The incident took place at sunset around 7pm when the Muslims had
gathered in the mosque to observe the Maghrib prayer after breaking
their fast.
It was learnt that the masqueraders were irked that the Muslims called
for prayers when they were still celebrating Egungun (masquerader)
festival.
The masquearders reportedly attacked the worshippers and inflicted injuries on many of them.
About five of the worshippers were said to have sustained varying degrees of injury.
The hoodlums were said to have vandalised the two cars parked at the entrance of the mosque.
The Acting Imam of the mosque, Alhaji Abdul-Rasak Abubakar-Bello, was
rushed to the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, where
he received stitches on his head.
Speaking from his hospital bed , Bello said the Muslims were held hostage in the mosque for four hours by the masqueraders.
“There was no way we could escape because they were waiting for us
outside after initially attacking us inside the mosque. When we
succeeded in locking ourselves inside the mosque, they started throwing
stones at us,” he said.
Bello accused the Divisional Police Office in the area of snubbing the
distress calls made to him by the Muslim community as he refused to send
his men there.
The Muslim community accused the traditional ruler of the town, Oba Olatunde Olusola, of supervising the attack.
Punch
