Scores injured as rival group clash in Mosque

No fewer than eight people, last Friday, sustained serious injuries, in clashes between members of two rival Islamic sects over leadership at the Central mosque in Okene, Kogi State.

The clash was said to be a spillover of lingering crises between the Tijjaniya and Sunni sects, over who occupies the position of Chief Imam, following the demise of the former occupant of the position, Alhaji Musa Galadima, who died in April 2019.

According to an eyewitness, Friday’s clash at the Central mosque reared its head few minutes to the commencement of the Friday Juma’at prayer, when one Mallam Bello Hussaini, a member of the Sunni sect allegedly addressed Sheik Salihu Abere as the Acting Chief Imam, when he entered the mosque.

The statement was said to have irked one Momoh Jimoh, a member of the rival Tijjaniya group, who demanded an for apology from the Sunni member, “for being rude to the Chief Imam.”

Altercation however ensued and the Sunni members allegedly pounced on Jimoh, beating him to stupor leaving him with serious injury on the head.

A free for all was said to have ensued leading many who came to observe the juma’at to run in different directions.

The crises was said to have lasted for close to an hour before policemen and soldiers came to the rescue, bringing the situation under control.

Before the intervention however, no fewer than eight people from both sides sustaining various degrees of injury.

A civil servant, Abdulsalam Mohammed Bashir, who was in the moaque during the fracas described the incident as unfortunate.

“I was there when the Sheik Salihu Abere the Chief Imam entered the mosque to preside over the juma’at prayer.

“To the surprise of many people in the mosque, Bello Hussaini stopped his pre-hutuba Sermon and announced that the acting imam is around instead of him to said the Chief Imam. This was the cause of the mayhem that resulted to fight where Ibrahim Ochi, Ibrahim Ojivo , Momoh Jimoh and one other person was severely injured,” he said.

He called on the state government and the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, Dr Ado Ibrahim to do the needful by turbaning Sheik Salihu Abere, who he said has been chosen to occupy the position of the Chief Imam of Ebiraland, to end the bickering surrounding the position.

Reacting on the allegations leveled against Sunni group, Ustaz Bello Hussaini, who was at the centre of the saga, said that Governor Yahaya Bello, last year, directed that Sheik Salihu Abere occupy the position of Chief Imam, in acting capacity, saying since then there was no further statement that confirming him as substantive Chief Imam.

Governor Bello is said to have summoned the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, the five Ohi(s) in the district and eminent personalities from the zone to Lokoja with a view to finding lasting solution to the crises.