A pressure group, Yoruba Commitment Leaders (YCL), has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the religious crisis brewing in Ilorin, Kwara State, to safeguard national peace and constitutional order.
The group which also expressed concern over the recent pronouncements by officials of the Kwara State Government and Kwara State Police Command in respect of the Isese matter, wondered whether Nigeria is indeed a secular state.
YCL which was reacting to what it deemed an “open denial of some Yoruba people of their inalienable right to practice their religion by some Islamic clerics in Ilorin, Kwara State, said that no religious adherents should stand in the way of another, just because they do not belong to the same faith.
The group made this known on Saturday in a statement jointly signed by Otunba Tayo Onayemi, Chief Mrs Buky Tunde Oshunrinde, Mrs Sola Maja, Omooba Sina Odunmorayo, Barr Femi Mokikan and Omooba Eri Dada and made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital.
It urged those saddled with the constitutional responsibility of protecting the rights of all persons in the state to take unbiased actions against the perpetrators.
The statement read, “The orchestrated and open denial of some Yoruba people of their inalienable right to practice their religion in Kwara State, in whatever guise, is causing tension in all Yoruba speaking states.”
The group noted that it is appalling for public officials in that state who ought to speak on the side of the nation’s Constitution, which guarantees the right to freedom of religion and worship to every Nigerian, to resort to statement and actions that bordered on divisiveness, saying that it views the official statements and actions with grave worries.
It noted that their actions smack of a bias for one religion against traditional religions of the Yoruba people.
“The Constitution has declared that Nigeria is a secular state by which it means that there is no state or region in any part of the country and all levels of government are expected to take a neutral position on religious matters”.
“The recent pronouncements from officials of Kwara State and the Kwara State Police Command have made YCL to question whether Nigeria is indeed a secular state”.
“We have witnessed an upsurge in acts of religious intolerance in some Yoruba communities, sponsored by a religious sect, springing from Ilorin in recent weeks. To our chagrin, what we are witnessing is akin to a declaration of a religious war by some members of an Islamic sect against practitioners of traditional Yoruba religions and it amounts to an attempt at religious conquest, occupation and domination of the Yoruba.
“The audacious and confrontational attitude of some members of an Islamic sect, showing utter disregard for the constitutional provisions guaranteeing freedoms of association, movement, religion and worship should be of serious concern to all discerning minds that there is a trouble brewing which is seemingly backed by the authorities in Ilorin.
“We are happy that there are some Islamic Clerics in Ilorin who have recognised the development in Ilorin as nothing short of religious intolerance which must not be allowed in a decent society.
“Traditional religion adherents, Christians and Muslims should be free to practise their respective religion in Ilorin without any fear of being attacked.
“While urging Yoruba people in all parts of the world and all Nigerians in general to hold the Governor of Kwara State and the agencies of State responsible should their actions and utterances lead to a breakdown of law and order in Yorubaland, we call on His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to please swiftly wade into this matter in the interest of peace and constitutional order in Nigeria.
This is better. The President should invite the Attoney General to interpret the constitution of federal republic of Nigeria to the kwara people. This is the first assignment for SAN Fagbemi