The Executive Council of the Lagos Central Mosque has written a petition to the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu asking him to help restore peace in the feud rocking the Mosque.
The letter, dated Thursday, 20th February, 2025 was signed by Alhaji Lookman lyanda Seriki ,General Secretary, Lagos Central Mosque.
“Your Excellency sir, we plead for your good interventions to bring sanity back to our Mosque. As the Chief Security of the State, you are in the pole position to prevent the looming breakdown of law and order that these extraneous, malicious and self-centered interference but unprovoked attack on our Mosque could cause in our State – a model of peace, prosperity, harmony, unity and progress,” the letter read in part.
Giving details of the latest development, the letter said “On Wednesday, 19th February 2025, as the Jama’atul Muslimeen Council (otherwise known as Lagos Central Mosque Executive Council) was having its meeting in peace, at his usual place within the premises of the Lagos Central Mosque, a court bailiff interrupted the meeting to serve a writ of summon from the Federal High Court, Lagos Division, Ikoyi, instituted by Alhaji Lateef Femi Okunnu (SAN), Alhaji Chief Saheed Yemi Lawal and purported Registered Trustee of Jama’atul Muslimeen Council of Nigeria to the Executive members.
“We received the court summon, and we have started responding to it in lawful and peaceful manners.
“It has always been the habit of the Personal Assistant of Chief Imam, Mr. Ibrahim Odunsi, to abuse, harass, intimidate and threaten members of Executive Council, including the Baba Adinni of Lagos, His Eminence, Alhaji Sikiru Alabi-Macfoy and members of the administrative and support staff. But what happened, Thursday, 20th February, 2025, a day after we had our meeting and received the court summon, five Police Personnel from Kester Police Post, Oluwole Lagos Island, Lagos, invaded our sacred Lagos Central Mosque for more than 5 hours, and later that day served a letter addressed to the Baba Adinni, inviting ten (10) members of the Lagos Central Mosque Executive Council to Kester Police Post on Friday, 21 February, 2025, at 10:00a.m, on the day of Jumat prayer! At 5.00p.m, we were astounded to see another Police Personnel led by one Yinusa T.O. from Adeniji-Adele Central Police Station to serve a similar invitation to the Lagos Central Mosque Executive Council Members. The whole scenario is bewildering! This is sad, but needless, especially when the Chief Imam is fully aware of the court summons, which requires the soberness of all Muslim Lagosians, and other well-meaning individuals of other faith.
“This unprecedented violation of sanctity of the Lagos Central Mosque, this height of intimidation, harassments and threats of its Executive members, this unparalleled involvement of non-members of the Lagos Central Mosque Executive Council and non-Islamic institutions and individuals in a seeming plot being orchestrated by the officiating Chief Imam of Lagos Central Mosque, is a watershed in more than a century of our Mosque.
“Your Excellency sir, we earnestly implore you to put a stop to this attack on the soul of our heritage, the Lagos Central Mosque; non-Executive members must be prevailed upon to stop their objectionable interference in the internal affairs of our Mosque. The Jama’atul Muslimeen Council is being pushed to the wall, and resistance to these frequent malicious attacks will be a natural recourse. We don’t pray for a religious crisis in our State of Excellence.”
See the full letter below:
20 February, 2025
His Excellency,
Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu,
The Executive Governor of Lagos State,
Governor’s office,
Alausa, Ikeja,
Lagos
Peace and Blessing be unto Your Excellency, sir.
AN URGENT PLEA TO STOP THE INTIMIDATIONS AND HARASSMENTS OF THE LAGOS CENTRAL MOSQUE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS BY THE CHIEF IMAM OF LAGOS CENTRAL MOSQUE, HIS EMINENCE, SHEIKH SULAIMAN ABOU-NOLLAH, WITH THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF HIS ROYAL MAJESTY, ALAIYELUWA OBA RILIWANU BABATUNDE AKIOLU, THE OBA OF LAGOS AND ALHAJI LATEEF FEMI OKUNNU, USING THUGS AND RECENTLY THE PERSONNEL OF NIGERIAN POLICE FORCE.
On Wednesday, 19th February 2025, as the Jama’atul Muslimeen Council (otherwise known as Lagos Central Mosque Executive Council) was having its meeting in peace, at his usual place within the premises of the Lagos Central Mosque, a court bailiff interrupted the meeting to serve a writ of summon from the Federal High Court, Lagos Division, Ikoyi, instituted by Alhaji Lateef Femi Okunnu (SAN), Alhaji Chief Saheed Yemi Lawal and purported Registered Trustee of Jama’atul Muslimeen Council of Nigeria to the Executive members.
We received the court summon, and we have started responding to it in lawful and peaceful manners.
It has always been the habit of the Personal Assistant of Chief Imam, Mr. Ibrahim Odunsi, to abuse, harass, intimidate and threaten members of Executive Council, including the Baba Adinni of Lagos, His Eminence, Alhaji Sikiru Alabi-Macfoy and members of the administrative and support staff. But what happened, Thursday, 20th February, 2025, a day after we had our meeting and received the court summon, five Police Personnel from Kester Police Post, Oluwole Lagos Island, Lagos, invaded our sacred Lagos Central Mosque for more than 5 hours, and later that day served a letter addressed to the Baba Adinni, inviting ten (10) members of the Lagos Central Mosque Executive Council to Kester Police Post on Friday, 21 February, 2025, at 10:00a.m, on the day of Jumat prayer! At 5.00p.m, we were astounded to see another Police Personnel led by one Yinusa T.O. from Adeniji-Adele Central Police Station to serve a similar invitation to the Lagos Central Mosque Executive Council Members. The whole scenario is bewildering! This is sad, but needless, especially when the Chief Imam is fully aware of the court summons, which requires the soberness of all Muslim Lagosians, and other well-meaning individuals of other faith.
This unprecedented violation of sanctity of the Lagos Central Mosque, this height of intimidation, harassments and threats of its Executive members, this unparalleled involvement of non-members of the Lagos Central Mosque Executive Council and non-Islamic institutions and individuals in a seeming plot being orchestrated by the officiating Chief Imam of Lagos Central Mosque, is a watershed in more than a century of our Mosque.
Your Excellency sir, we earnestly implore you to put a stop to this attack on the soul of our heritage, the Lagos Central Mosque; non-Executive members must be prevailed upon to stop their objectionable interference in the internal affairs of our Mosque. The Jama’atul Muslimeen Council is being pushed to the wall, and resistance to these frequent malicious attacks will be a natural recourse. We don’t pray for a religious crisis in our State of Excellence.
Your Excellency sir, we plead for your good interventions to bring sanity back to our Mosque. As the Chief Security of the State, you are in the pole position to prevent the looming breakdown of law and order that these extraneous, malicious and self-centered interference but unprovoked attack on our Mosque could cause in our State – a model of peace, prosperity, harmony, unity and progress.
Yours faithfully,
Alhaji Lookman lyanda Seriki
General Secretary
Lagos Central Mosque
lagoscentralmosque@yahoo.com
0802 305 7499
cc:
• The Deputy Governor of Lagos State – (His Excellency, Dr. Kadir Obafemi Hamzat)
• The Chairman, Governor’s Advisory Council – (Prince Dr. Tajudeen Oluyole Olusi, MON, OON)
• The President-General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs
• The General Secretary, Muslim Ummah of South-West Nigeria
• The Baba Adinni of Lagos – (His Eminence, Alhaji Chief Sikiru Alabi-Macfoy)
• The Aare of Lagos – (Alhaji Chief (Dr) Razaq Akanni Okoya, CON)
• Alhaji Hon. Justice I. A. Olorunnimbe, OON
• Deputy Inspector General of Police, Zone 2, Onikan Lagos.
• The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State
• Officer Commanding the State House, Lagos – (Prince Adedokun Oludare)
• Hon Commissioner for Home Affairs – (Hon Ibrahim O. Layode)
• The Four (4) Divisional Chief Imams in Lagos State
• Sheikh Sabitu Lawal – (Chief Imam Mainland Central Mosque)
• The Four (4) Mufassirs of the Lagos Central Mosque
• The Executive Council of the Lagos Central Mosque
• The Titled Chiefs of the Lagos Central Mosque
• Head of the Four (4) Districts in Lagos: Olowogbowo District (Council of Bashorun), Oko Faji, Isale Eko/ Idumota and Popo Aguda (Brazilian Quarters).
• Alhaji Chief Muhammed Bello Oyinlomo Danmole – (President, Muslim Community of Lagos State)
• Professor T. G. O. Gbadamosi
• Sheikh Habeeb Adam Abdullai Al-Ilory, OON – (Mudir Markaz Agege Lagos)
• Sheikh Dr. Sulaimon Faruq Onikijipa, OON – (Mufti of Ilorin Emirate)
• Sheikh Ridwanullai Mustapha Zuglool – (Mudir, Daarul Dawah, Isolo)
• Sheikh Rabiu Adebayo Abdul Malik (Baba Loworo)
• Rear Admiral Jubril Ayinla – (Baba Adinni of Quranic Central Mosque)
• Alhaji Chief Tijani Babatunde Folawiyo – (Giwa Olori Giwa of Lagos)
• Sheikh Abdul Rahman Olanrewaju Ahmad – (National Missioner, Ansar-ud-Deen Society of Nigeria
• Sheikh Musibau Adekunle Surakat – (National Missioner, Zumratul Islamiyyah Society Nigeria)
• Ratibi Imams of the Lagos Central Mosque.
• The Muslim Rights Concern – (Professor Ishaq Akintola)
• Sheikh Zikrullahi Shaffi
• Sheikh Moshood Ramadan Jubril
• Olori Ebi of Chief Imam Nolla Family of Lagos
• Olori Ebi of Abu-Nolla Family
