A Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ota, Ado Odo Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, on Thursday remanded five traditionalists in prison custody for allegedly attacking some Muslims at Idiroko.
Traditionalists and Muslims had clashed over the annual Oro festival at Idiroko in Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Daily Trust reports that during the annual festival, Oro adherents imposed a daylight curfew on the residents of the area, thereby paralysing socioeconomic activities in the communities.
Our correspondent gathered that the traditionalists had on Saturday imposed a curfew on the community preparatory to this year’s Oro festival, but the development led to a clash on Tuesday.
Violence reportedly broke out when the traditionalists clashed with Muslim faithful who were observing the evening prayer.
It was also gathered that the Oro adherents had attacked a Muslim cleric, Bola Wasiu, with a machete, thereby inflicting injuries on him.
He was reportedly rushed to a hospital, while some others including women were also attacked in the mosque.
The incident, which occurred in Temitope area in Idi-Iroko-Ajegunle, affected Umar Bin Kathab mosque, which was attacked two years ago during the Oro festival.
It was gathered that during the clash, the Muslim got hold of three of the alleged attackers and handed them over to the police in the area.
However, police arraigned the five suspects on Thursday in connection with the attacks before Magistrate A O Adeyemi in Ota.
It was gathered that the court admitted the traditionalists to bail, but they were unable to meet the bail conditions.
The Magistrate, however, ordered they be remanded at a prison custody, Ilaro, until they perfect the conditions.
Adeyemi adjourned the matter till August 24.
The Police Spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi, noted that the traditionalists have been severally invited to Abeokuta for peace talks.
He said that the Commissioner of Police had also visited the area to sensitize the people on why it is illegal to impose daylight curfew on people in the 21st century.
The PPRO wondered why a group of people would, in the name of Oro festival, prevent Muslims and Christians from serving their God.
Oyeyemi said, “There is nowhere a person or group of person, under the guise of carrying out your religious activity, will now declare curfew in daylight.
“What about other people who also want to worship God in their own way? So, they mean the Christians should not go to church, Muslims should not go to mosque and the children should not go to school? Where does that happen in this 21st century?
“These ones have been arrested and charged to court. The court admitted them on bail but they are yet to perfect their bail conditions. Of course, they will be remanded till they meet their bail conditions.”
