Demolition: Ekiti Muslim leaders suspend Friday prayer in marked mosque

As controversy continues to trail the planned demolition of NIPCO filling station in Adebayo area of the state capital, Ekiti, Muslim clerics in the state have agreed to suspend Friday Jumat prayer in the mosque.

The state Coordinator of the National Council for Muslim Youths, Tajudeen Ahmed, in a statement made available to journalists in Ado Ekiti yesterday, said the clerics agreed to suspend the prayer at a meeting held yesterday.

The government had through the Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Mr Tae Otitoju, on Monday marked the mosque for demolition after the government said worshippers could contact cancer from the radioactive emission from the petrol station.

A petrol dealer, Alhaji Suleman Akinbami, built the mosque and donated it to the Muslim community in the area, and the demolition issue had sparked outrage among worshippers who staged a street protest Tuesday.

The statement by the Muslim organisation said, “The President -General, League of Imams and Alfas of South West Nigeria, Edo and Delta states, Alhaji Sheikh Jamiu Keulere Bello has directed that the forthcoming Jummat service of 07/04/17 be suspended at the Adebayo Mosque. The President-General came to the conclusion after a meeting with the leadership of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Ekiti State, Alh. Yakubu Sanni and the Coordinator of NACOMYO in the state, Tajudeen Ahmed. “The meeting, which had some other Muslim leaders in attendance, reviewed the present development concerning the demolition order of worshiping centres that are situated in petrol stations by Ekiti State Government and concluded that the forthcoming Jummat service there be suspended until the Muslim Jummat is able to have audience with the Government of Ekiti State.

“The President -General directed Muslim worshipers at Adebayo Mosque to bear with the directive of the leaders and reach out to other available mosques in the state headquarters to observe the Jummat prayer.”