By Ahmed Suleiman
A young Muslim lady was allegedly raped by hoodlums in the presence of her mother during the New Year eve attack on worshippers in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
A leader of the Taiwo-Isale community, Gambari Usman, made the disclosure during a telephone interview with this medium on Tuesday. Usman who stated that the mother of the raped victim alerted the community however appreciated the Christian community for coming to the rescue of the lady.
Recall that the incident which occurred around 2 am caused panic among Muslim and Christian worshippers as several people were injured and properties destroyed by the suspected hoodlums who invaded the worship centres.
Among the worship centres attacked were; Methodist Church of Nigeria, St. Joseph Catholic Parish and AlFathu-L-Qareeb Muslim Organisation of Nigeria.
According to information gathered, some of the victims were taken to Sadiku Hospital along Unity road and the General Hospital, Ilorin where they received treatment.
It was also learnt that, police patrol teams, men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) shot sporadically into the air to stop the mayhem and make some arrests.
Speaking to our reporter, the Deputy Missioner of AlFathu-L-Qareeb Muslim Organisation of Nigeria, Alhaji Yahaya Nuru said that the hoodlums attacked his people while they were observing congregational prayers.
“We were observing our prayers when the hoodlums stormed our prayer centre. The next thing we saw is the flame of the canister which destabilised our congregation.”
Speaking, another member of the group, Yusuf Abubakar, said, “Around 12am on Monday, we heard noise outside the school premises and this was followed with a bang. We even thought it was knockout as usual but after it landed, we realised it was a canister.
“As the first canister landed, the security men stepped on it but the smoke of the tear gas was not much. The second canister landed too, they (security) were able to step on it; but when the third canister landed, everywhere was enveloped with smoke. People fell down, stampede began. As the security men attempted to rescue those who fell, many people could not see the exit door and they too collapsed due to the smoke.”
Meanwhile, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has reassured Kwara residents of his readiness to deploy the law and public fund to achieve peace, unity and progress in the state.
According to the governor, “I stand before God and man to effectively deploy the instrumentalities of the law and public fund to achieve peace, unity and progress in the state. Anyone who participated directly or indirectly in public disorder shall be brought to book”.
Governor Ahmed urged religious bodies not to allow miscreants who for economic reasons promote disaffection among religious adherents in the state.
“This state is a State of Harmony. And we must all collectively work to sustain our cherished peaceful environment. Don’t play into the hands of mischief makers by labeling the activities of miscreants on new year eve as religious issue. The benefit of unity is too high to allow it slip our hands”.
The governor assured the religious bodies he will ensure justice by bringing perpetrators to book and averting future occurrence through proactive measures.
Responding, the state chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Prof Tunde Opoola, urged the governor to ensure that justice is truly done as a way of assuring that the Christian community in the state renew their confidence in the state government.
On his part, Chairman Alfathiu Quarib, Mal. Oniye Abdulrasak said the association has had harmonious relationship with the Christian community and dissociated the organisation from any attack on churches.
Also, the Kwara state Police Command has announced the arrest of additional 22 suspected hoodlums in connection with the attack, making a total of 32 arrests. Recall that 10 suspects were initially arrested by the police.
The State Police Commissioner, Lawan Ado made this known while speaking with journalists in Ilorin on Tuesday. He also said that the incident was not a premeditated religious attack as it was being speculated in some quarters.
…31 suspects remanded over mayhem
By Kayode Adeoti
It was all rowdiness at the Magistrate court premises sitting in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, yesterday as 31 suspects who were alleged to have attacked worship centres on New Year eve were arraigned.
The suspects who were celebrating their annual carnival were reported to have attacked members of St. Joseph Catholic Church, Methodist Church of Nigeria, Christ Apostolic Church and AlFathu-L-Qareeb Muslim Organisation of Nigeria, all at Taiwo Isale area in Ilorin during their service.
Those arraigned before Magistrate Muhammad Ndakene are: Bello Ahmed, Olatunji Oluwasuyi, Ayomide Bamidele, Oniye Kamaldeen, Ibrahim Sodiq, Olarewaju Fayomi, Ago Smart, Obaji Patrick, Taiye Adi, Yusuf Kareem, Suleiman Lawal, Tunji Idowu, Alayande Olasunkanmi, Adam Issa, Opeyemi Kareem and Ajayi Blessing.
Also dragged to court over the mayhem are Abiodun Akinniyi, Taiye Jimoh, Kadir Abdulganiyu, Godwin Nyenyin, Oluwatoyin Bolanta, Kareem Amerin, Simon Nwafor, Oloruntoba Ayodele, Emmanuel Umigu, Abdulahhi Ahmed, Ahmed Usman, Jimoh Muhammed Usman Kadir, Juwon James Aliu Faruq and others who are at large.
According to Police First Information Report (FIR) obtained by this medium, the suspects were charged for criminal conspiracy, rioting armed with deadly weapons, mischief by fire with intent to cause damage, voluntary causing grievous hurt, attempt to commit offence to wit culpable homicide, injuring or defiling place of worship and mischief contrary to section 97, 107, 336, 246, 229, 211, and 327 of Penal code law.
The FIR revealed that the suspects vandalised the church building, destroyed and burnt the statues of the Holy Mary erected in St. Joseph Catholic Church and also smashed the windscreen of some vehicles parked within the church premises.
Also, it reported that the accused persons beat and injured some worshippers as well as raping them.
During the hearing of the suit, the Prosecutor, Inspector David Wodi urged the court not to grant the accused bail.
He submitted that police investigation is still on going on the matter adding that court should exercise the power inherent in 129 (2) of ICPC.
He further urged the court to remand the accused in the custody of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) pending the time police will complete their findings.
In his response, Toyin Onoolapo who spoke on behalf of other 10 counsels told the court to discountenance the submission of the prosecutor.
He said, “I apply on behalf of other counsels to the accused for bail, the purpose of the bail is not to set them free but to hand them over to reliable sureties especially their parents who are ready to take them on bail.
“Going by FIR, all the offences are not carrying maximum punishment and none of them linked the suspects to the crime. Some of the accused are underage,” he posited.
Onaolapo also told the court that none of the suspects were arrested at the scene of the incident urging the court to adopt sect. 13 (5) of 1999 constitution as amended. He noted that prison does not have capacity to contain the accused.
Magistrate Ndakene however ordered that the suspects be remanded in CID custody pending the time police investigations would be completed. He further adjourned the case to 9th January, 2018.
…Muslim Watch calls for caution
The Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria (MMWG) has called following the incident of midnight attacks on Muslim and Christian worshippers in Ilorin on New Year eve.
While commending the Kwara State Police Command for curbing activities of the hoodlums, the MMWG in a statement by its National Coordinator, Mallam Ibrahim Abdullahi, condemned in unequivocal terms the press conference organised by CAN Kwara State branch where it alleged that Christians were attacked by the Muslims.
The group added that contrary to the claim that it was only the Christians that were attacked, “the police that came to the rescue of members of the Quareeb Islamic Association that were similarly affected, has the detailed account of the incident in which several members of the Quareeb were injured when the hoodlums threw some explosives at them during midnight Tahajud.
“It was the police rescue team that took several injured Muslims to the General Hospital Ilorin when the incident occurred.”
The MMWG however called on religious leaders to stop fanning embers of religious hatred, disunity and confusion as exhibited by Kwara CAN.
“What happened was an insult and assault to both religious groups, the responsible action that should have been taken was for both CAN and Quareeb leaders to jointly address a press conference to condemn the mayhem, commend the Police and to call on the state government to firm-up arrangements of tight security during all festivals so as to protect innocent worshippers from miscreants.”
