A Yoruba socio-cultural group, Olokun Festival Foundation has called on those that are behind the lingering crisis in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, to seek peace and religious tolerance as a way of resolving the crisis that had been engulfing the state in recent times.
This call was made by the OFF spokesperson, Olajide Odumosu, on Friday in a statement made available to journalists while reacting to the raging crisis in the state capital, urging that justice must prevail and those arraigned be given fair hearing without any prejudice.
OFF chieftain asked religious leaders to eschew the acts that could lead to crisis saying this was not the time to fan the embers of religious crisis and that Nigerians and the whole world were watching.
“Religion is a sensitive issue and we must respect the secularity of the Nigerian state. It is sacrosanct.
“I am appealing to all those that are involved in the lingering crisis in Ilorin to seek peace and religious tolerance as a way of addressing the crisis that had been engulfing the state in recent times.
“Justice must prevail and those arraigned must be given fair hearing without any prejudice.
“This is not the time to fan the embers of religious crisis. Nigerians and the whole world are watching and the religious leaders should desist from act that could lead to crisis,” he said.
Odumosu further called on the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Kolapo, to use his position to seek religious peace by calling on those that were bent on using religion to break the peaceful co-existence in the to shum that act that can set Ilorin on fire.
“The police as well as other law enforcement agents should not be seen as being bias in their efforts to ensure peace, because with the trending video on the social media, it showed that the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Ebunoluwa Adelesi, was alleged to be biased in handling the case between the Muslims and traditional believers,” he said.
The religious acrimony started in Ilorin when a traditional worshiper of Obatala, Yeye Ajesikemi Olokun Omolara Olatunji, was prevented from hosting a planned festival for adherents of Isese by the Muslims.
Though the State Commissioner of Police waded in as part of efforts to ensure peace between the Muslims and traditionalists, the lingering crisis is yet to abate.
