Okene Mosque crisis: Security agencies meet with parties

Heads of security agencies in Kogi State on Tuesday in Lokoja met with parties in last Friday’s violence in the Okene Central Mosque which left scores of worshipers injured. The meeting comes ahead of the Eid El fitr celebration and juma’at prayers this week. Read: 8 injured in clash over imamate in Kogi The struggle […]

Heads of security agencies in Kogi State on Tuesday in Lokoja met with parties in last Friday’s violence in the Okene Central Mosque which left scores of worshipers injured.

The meeting comes ahead of the Eid El fitr celebration and juma’at prayers this week.

Read: 8 injured in clash over imamate in Kogi

The struggle of who becomes the imam of the mosque has created tension across Ebiraland.

The tension boiled over during last Friday when an altercation between members of the two groups degenerated into violence with many sustaining injuries.

At the meeting on Tuesday were the Commissioner of Police, CP Ede Ayuba; Director of SSS, Oluwatosin Ajayi; Commander Army Record, Major General OO Soleye and Commander NNS, Lugard Commander AA Adesanya.

Also, at the meeting were Sheikh Lukman Musa Galadima of Ansarul Islam and Sheikh Salihu Abere of Tijaniya who were at the center of the struggle for the leadership of the mosque.

Other Islamic leaders present were Abdulateef Ibrahim of the Tijaniyya sect; Salihu Momoh , Sunnis; Salihu Oricha for the Sunnis; Nuhu Ogirima for Ansarul Islam; Bello Hussein for Sunnis; Adam Abere and Danfulani Abdullahi for Tijaniyya.

According to the statement by the State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP William Aya, the commissioner of police warned against any breach of peace during the coming Friday and Eid prayers.

The Commissioner of Police further warned both leaders to maintain status quo and also talk to their followers to shun any form of violence in the Central Mosque and Okene town, since the state government directed that status quo be maintained while the process for the selection continue.

He warned that both leaders would be prosecuted in the event of another breach of peace.

The statement said both leaders agreed to talk to their followers to maintain peace while the process for the selection lasted.