Mosque Attack: Tension As Police Charge Chief Imam With Assault

There is tension in Osogbo as the police arraigned masquerade custodian, Chief Fashola Esuleke, the Chief Imam of Kamarudeen Mosque, Kazeem Yunus and others in court on Monday.

The chief Imam is facing assault charges while the masquerade custodian is arraigned for murder.

There is heavy presence of armed policemen on the road leading to the court and at the entrance of the court.

There are policemen also on the court premises as traditionalists and Muslims thronged the court to witness the proceedings.

The court room is filled to the brim while some who did not find seats inside were seen on the court premises.

The arraignment is underway.

Recall that the suspects were arraigned last Thursday but the state counsel, Moses Faremi, told the court that the charge was defective because one charge sheet was used to arraign those charged with murder and those charged with breach of public.

He said, “Fashola Esuleke, Kola Adeosun and Idowu Abimbola were charged for murder while Kazeem Yunus, Salawu Jimoh, Alarape Sulaimon Akanbi and Raimi Saheed were charged for assault on the same charge sheet which should be separated. The charge is defective, so should not be arraign because magistrate can’t preside over capital offences.”

The Magistrate, Mr Asimiyu Adebayo, remanded all the seven defendants in police custody and adjourned the matter till Monday, July 12th, 2021 for the defendants to be brought before the court for arraignment.

The masquerader and his followers had clashed with the Muslims and killed one person’s, injuring 14 and destroyed parts of the mosque.