Masquerades attack Muslims in Ekiti, destroy mosque, properties

No fewer than five persons sustained various degrees of injury when masquerades on Tuesday evening attacked some Muslims and mosques in Ikun Ekiti, in Moba local government of Ekiti State.

The incident happened about 7pm when the Muslims had gathered in the mosque to observe the Maghrib prayer after breaking their Ramadan fast.

A source told journalists that the attackers were irked that the Muslims called for prayers when they (masquerades) were still celebrating their Egun festival.

The witness alleged that the masquerades attacked the worshippers with dangerous weapons such as cudgels, stones and iron, and inflicted injuries on about five of them, while the windscreen of two cars parked at the entrance of the mosque were smashed with stones.

The acting Imam of the mosque, Alhaji Abdul-Rasak AbubakarBello, was rushed to the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, where he received stitches in his head.

Bello, who spoke with our correspondent from his hospital bed, said the Muslims were held hostage in the mosque for four hours by the masquerades who threatened to kill them.

“There was no way we could escape because they were waiting for us outside after initially attacking us inside the mosque with iron and rods. When we succeeded in locking ourselves inside the mosque, they started throwing stones at us,” he said.