Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, Ooni of Ife, has called for calm and order in the ancient city of Ile-Ife and its environs.
The appeal was made by Ooni, who spoke through his Second-in-Command, Obalufe of Ifeland, Oba Idowu Adediwura, in an interview on Friday in Ile-Ife.
He claimed that as the royal father of Christians, Muslims, and traditionalists, and as a global leader who promotes peaceful coexistence, there was no cause for his house to be in turmoil.
He stated that as a direct descendant of Oduduwa, the progenitor of the Yoruba race who also taught peaceful coexistence, he saw no reason why people of different religions couldn’t coexist peacefully and in tolerance.
He observed that the two main religions and traditional worshippers had coexisted peacefully in ages past and that there should not be hostilities between them now.
Four persons were reportedly injured when traditional religion worshippers attacked worshippers in a mosque in Ile-Ile on Thursday.
Traditionalists in the town had announced on Wednesday that the “Oro’’ cult would perform some rituals in some parts of Ife between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., advising residents to avoid the areas.
According to one of those in the mosque, Mr. Abdulazeez Bashir, Oro adherents broke through the fence and began flogging worshippers with canes, instructing them to leave the ablution area.
“One of them even attacked the Imam, Alhaji Abdullateef Adesiyan while coming into the mosque. He was beaten with a cane and hit in the face with a rod.
“When I discovered that about five persons had been injured, apart from the Imam of the mosque, I had to call the Ife Chief Imam, Alhaji AbdulSemiu AbdulHammed to intimate him of the happenings.
“The situation could have escalated into a big crisis when other Muslims began to gather around, but the traditionalists eventually left. The victims were later taken to a hospital for treatment,’’ Bashir said.
When contacted, Osun Police Command spokesperson, SP Yemisi Opalola confirmed the incident, stating that an investigation into the mosque invasion had been launched.
Ooni promised to renovate the mosque that was affected as well as pay the hospital bill of the Imam of the mosque.
The Chief Imam of Ifeland, Alhaji AbdulHammed, told newsmen on Friday that the trouble had been settled.
He confirmed that the traditional religion worshippers assaulted the Imam of Idiomo Mosque, Ilare, Alfa Adesiyan, inside the mosque.
AbdulHammed called for the maintenance of fundamental rights of religion, speech, and peace among others.
“There is no family throughout Africa that practices one religion.
“There should be freedom for individuals to practice whatever religion they choose without coercion,’’ he said.
The Chief Imam appealed to indigenes to ensure that they maintained peace and orderliness during each festival in the town, stressing that there is no profit in violence.
