Facts have emerged on how one person died and 14 others were injured when armed masquerades allegedly invaded Kamorudeen Central Mosque on Sunday afternoon in Olu-Ode Aranyin area of Osogbo, Osun State.
One of the leaders of the mosque was killed during the incident, which occurred around 2:30pm when worshippers were observing a prayer session for Nigeria.
A source said the worshippers were praying when an altercation ensued between them and masquerades passing through the road beside the mosque.
The altercation led to a brawl and gunshots were fired at the mosque, which left one person dead and 14 others injured.
When The Nation visited the mosque on Monday, there was uneasy calm in the area.
Residents were still shocked by the incident. Canopies erected by the mosques and plastic chairs were in disarray with bloodstains on the floor.
The glass windows of the mosque were damaged.
Addressing journalists at NUJ, Correspondents’ Chapel, Fagbewese, Osogbo on Monday, Chief Imam of Kamorudeen Central Mosque, Qosim Yusuf, recounted how the incident happened.
He said: “Three hours into the prayer there was a commotion around the mosque. It is unfortunate that while we are praying for peace, we became casualties of attack by the masquerade worshipers.
“The attack was led by one Chief Kayode Esuleke as he stormed the mosque and unleashed mayhem on the Islamic faithful leaving one person dead and 14 injured with various degrees of bullets wound. Our mosque, vehicles and other properties were vandalised.
“The remains of the deceased, Alhaji Moshood Salawudeen is already deposited at the morgue of UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital and other people that are injured namely: Abdul Jeleel, 12, Adebayo Awolesin, 15, Taofeek Fatai, 17, Malik Abdulkabir, 17, Quazeek Al-Ameen, 12, Quazeem Aseyori, 47, Ayuba Abdulhakeem, 60, Abdulsalam AbdRauf, 39, Ajagbe Ishaq, 37, Owolabi Maruf, 45, Risiqat Zakariyahu, 45, Isiaq Ibraheem, Yahaya and Oladosu Halimat, 47 are presently receiving treatment.
“We give government 72-hour ultimatum to ensure Immediate arrest and prosecution of Chief Kayode Esuleke and others that participated in the gruesome murder of Alhaji Moshood Salawudeen, the government should take over the bills of all our members in hospital and all the properties vandalised must be taken care of.”
However, custodian of the masquerades, Fashola Esuleke, denied the allegation in a chat with The Nation.
He said: “We started the masquerade festival on Friday. On Sunday we are walking through Olu-Ode Aranyin and we were walking around the area when the Muslim faithful attacked us and tried to unclad the Masquerade.
“We escaped the scene and the Muslim wanted to kill the masquerade. The police and Agbekoya rescued the masquerade from the scene. We don’t know anything about the killing. Our men are even injured when they attacked us.”
Spokesperson of Osun Police Command, Yemisi Opalola, confirmed they have arrested some people in connection with the attack.
-NATION
