Brothers at war: Community divided over the selection of Chief Imam

The fight to fill the Chief Imam role for the town’s primary mosque, which began in 2020 and generated turmoil within the Muslim community in Inisa, Osun State, just came to light when a video about it was shared on social media.

Most outsiders were unaware of the magnitude of the turmoil engulfing the town over the chief imam’s vacant stool until the video taken inside the mosque was posted on the Facebook page of Sheikh Hamad Labeeb, an Islamic cleric from Ilorin, Kwara State.

In the widely shared video, Labeeb and his colleagues can be seen bemoaning the mosque’s closure due to a dispute between two factions over the top imam’s stool. They also called for the mosque to be opened for prayers again right once.

Checks reveal that two groups are supporting candidates put forth to take over as chief imam after the last three occupants of the office passed away within four months, a problem that is currently the subject of litigation before an Osun State High Court in Osogbo.

According to one of the groups, having a solid understanding of Islam should be the primary need for becoming chief imam, regardless of any succession plans. Thus, the group’s clerics formed a line behind Alhaji Ibrahim Oladejo, an Inisa native and scholar based in Osogbo.

This organisation was advocating for the dismantling of the existing system in order to align Islam in the community with international best practices that have been adopted in other regions of the world.

However, that notion was rejected by the second group. The group believed that Sheikh Muhammadu Jamiu Abdulhakeem, a town-based cleric who was allegedly next in line to the last person to hold the position, ought to be appointed imam in strict accordance with tradition.

The death of peacemakers, imams

The problem began with the death of Imam Surakat Asiyanbi in August 2022, following years of incapacity. It was stated that Asiyanbi, an octogenarian, had given up going to Jumaat services for years due to health issues.

After his death, the chief imam title was given to his deputy, Sheikh Mohammadu Qozeem Adediji, who filled in for Asiyanbi for more than ten years. Asiyanbi and Adediji, according to people connected to the League of Imams and Alfas circle in the town, were about the same age.

But suspicion raised its head after it was said that Adediji was appointed in a hurry. It was reported that he was promoted to the position of imam one day after his predecessor’s funeral, much to the dismay of a faction within the league.

Rumour had it that Adediji passed away fifteen days after his predecessor, having failed to recuperate from an unidentified illness.

He was rumoured to have led Jumaat prayer at the mosque just once as an imam before he passed away.

But prior to Adediji’s sole Jumaat prayer, some unidentified individuals are said to have written an inscription in Yoruba on the mosque wall that said, “Pray in this mosque and die.”

Thus, Adediji’s passing exposed the rising dissatisfaction among the League of Imams and Alfas members in the town and increased mistrust among them, with some attributing the death to spiritual assaults.

Sheikh Mustapha Baruwa, who stood next to Adediji and was also reportedly ill, did not even lead any Jumaat prayers after Adediji was buried. Sheikh Abdulhakeem, who was ranked number four at the time, led prayers in his place.

However, it was learned that the league decided to appoint Oladejo, a town scholar who resides in Osogbo, as the deputy imam while Baruwa was ill.

Following the passing of Baruwa, the designated deputy who had not yet taken office, certain clerics blocked him from becoming the imam, which exacerbated the stool dilemma. Opponents of his selection contended that Abdulhakeem, the next in line of succession and a former imam, ought to be promoted to the role rather than appointing a new candidate.

Tracing the origins of the problem, a local cleric known only as Alfa Saeed stated in an interview with Sunday PUNCH that he was not affiliated with any of the parties involved in the conflict and that the Chief Imam of Inisa, Sheikh Surakat Asiyanbi, passed away in August 2020. We buried him on Friday after he passed away on Thursday.

“Someone convened a gathering at the main mosque on Saturday. At first, a few attendees believed the meeting was to discuss plans for Asiyanbi’s farewell excursion. However, the convener announced that a new chief imam had surfaced during the meeting. They chose the deputy imam to be the imam who would succeed the late one.

“Someone questioned them about how they made the decision in such a hurry and without consulting anyone else who ought to be aware of such a significant matter.

“In the meantime, Sheikh Mohammadu Qozeem Adediji, who they chose to be the future imam, had been leading the community in Jumaat prayers as the acting imam for the past eleven years due to his infirmity.

“Those who made the decision to swiftly choose Adediji as imam turbaned him as imam without inviting certain clerics to participate in the ritual after the first controversy was settled. It was completed silently. Before the eight-day Fidau prayer for the late Imam Asiyanbi, not many people were aware of it.

At that point, rival groups within the town’s League of Imams and Alfas began to emerge. Adediji passed just 15 days after his predecessor, which fueled the already escalating problem. He fell sick and did not get better. When Imam Asiyanbi and Adediji passed away, they were both in their 80s.

Adediji conducted a single Jumaat service prior to his passing. Because some unidentified individuals entered the Inisa Central Mosque and scrawled in Yoruba, “Kirun ko ku,” which translates to “Pray in this mosque and die,” people have given his death a variety of interpretations.

“Security had to be provided before the only Jumaat service he led as imam because of the fear that those who wrote the threat message inside the mosque had created,” Saeed continued. Following Adediji’s passing, Sheikh Mustapha Baruwa, who was also in his 80s, was supposed to take over. However, he passed away without leading even a single Jumaat prayer.

“Those clerics had already chosen Alhaji Ibrahim Oladejo, an Osogbo native and scholar, to be the deputy imam before to Baruwa’s passing. Since Oladejo, the man chosen to be the deputy imam, had not yet taken office, Abdulhakeem, the next in line, conducted the congregation in Jumaat in Baruwa’s absence.

“Oladejo was supposed to become the congregation’s leader following the passing of the third chief imam (Baruwa), but some residents of the town—including Oba Joseph Fasikun, the Olunisa of Inisa—thought Abdulhakeem should still serve as the imam and continue to oversee the mosque in spite of Oladejo’s appointment.

Two groups had formed by that time. While some wanted to preserve the status quo and backed Abdulhakeem’s continued tenure, others believed Oladejo had a stronger background and was more qualified to hold the position of imam given his exposure and understanding.

Peacemaker passes away as well.

Chief Enoch Ajiboso, an Eesa from Inisa, was another well-known native of the town whose death was attributed to the rivalry for the position of chief imam.

At some point in December 2020, Ajiboso and other chiefs went to Olunisa, Oba Joseph Oyedele’s palace, to help resolve the problem. However, Ajiboso allegedly slumped while speaking and was hurried away.

Eventually, hospital physicians declared him dead.

Court proceedings, closed mosque

Following Abdulhakeem’s supporters’ attempt to prevent the deputy imam from taking on the role of imam, Oladejo’s supporters went to an Osun State High Court located in Osogbo to request remedies.

The case was ongoing when Sheikh Abdulhakeem was attacked during a Jumaat prayer, escalating the problem to the point where the administration of the state’s most recent governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, was obliged to close the mosque. Even after the mosque was reopened, the conflicting parties clung to their opposing viewpoints and refused to accept the peace.

Since then, all sides have abandoned the mosque while they wait for the court to rule on the issue, defying any attempts at resolution.

In presenting his own account, Oba Oyedele stated that he was not involved in the incident and that he had given the town’s League of Imams and Alfas leadership a task to resolve the conflict.

In response to the accusations made against him, the monarch said in a video that our correspondent was able to obtain that an imam chosen by the congregation was presented to him and he accepted him. The monarch was receiving a team led by Imam Abdullahi Oyewale Olohun-lo-merue of the Council for Islamic Preachers in Yorubaland during the meeting held in his palace, which also included representatives of the Osun League of Imams and Alfas, Concerned Yoruba Muslim Scholars of Nigeria, and the visiting Sheikh Hamad Labeeb.

Additionally, he denied closing the mosque, stating that it was closed as a result of a case involving the leadership dispute.

Oba Oyedele added that investigations had been conducted by security personnel as well as other organisations, emphasising that the mosque’s closure should be held accountable for the actions of a minority group that filed a lawsuit.

“A minority group instituted the case,” he stated in reference to the legal matter. The court is being used by them. I purposefully stayed out of the crisis when it began. I referred the case to the League of Imams and Alfas. I’m glad they performed well.

They carried out their assigned tasks and conducted an investigation. There were three or four separate investigations conducted, but this minority group understood that the results of the investigations would not be favourable to them, so they filed a lawsuit. The initial case was submitted.

Different investigations into the crisis were carried out by the League of Imams and the Osogbo Commissioner of Police. The minority group did not receive well at all the reports of the investigations conducted by the League of Imams in Osun North East. The chief imam, an OAU professor, conducted his own investigation as well, and the report was almost ready for publishing at the time the minority group filed the second case.

“They started a new case after stopping the previous one. The fact that many people accepted the imam that Ratibi placed and presented to me is what that group found objectionable. Had I known sooner, I would have suggested that you let the two groups pray in separate mosques while you kept an eye on who was gaining more members.

“We installed an imam, and he is still leading prayers today. He is the community’s representative for anything pertaining to Islam. In his mosque, a large number of people are worshipping. The central mosque’s closure is what those opposed to him really want. I wish you well if you can figure out how to reconcile the two parties and end the crisis. No, I did not close the mosque.

The Publicity Secretary of Concerned Yoruba Muslim Scholars of Nigeria, AbdulGanniy Ezrea, spoke about the many groups that have intervened to bring peace back to the Muslim community in Inisa. He emphasised that the parties involved must accept peace.

In order to put an end to the controversy, Ezrea announced that Jummat prayers will now take place at the central mosque and urged all parties involved to cooperate.

(PUNCH)