The Council of Islamic Preachers, in collaboration with the Office of the Osun State and National Deputy Amir of the group, has called on the people of Ifon, Ilobu and Erin Osun to embrace peace and shun any act that could lead to further bloodshed in the three communities.
This was contained in a communique after a communal conflict resolution dialogue attended by the Islamic leaders from the affected communities and representative of Osun State Government.
The communique obtained in Osogbo on Sunday by the convener of the dialogue, Imam Abdullahi Olohunlomerue, who is the Deputy National Amir of the Council, stated that the dialogue was aimed at fostering mutual understanding.
It further read, ‘It also intended to rebuild fractured relationships, and chart a sustainable path to peace had in attendance Islamic scholars, community leaders, representatives of the affected communities, political stakeholders and government officials.
‘The three communities pledged to do everything in their capacity to bring an end to the crisis as the State Governor pledged to identify and prosecute perpetrators’.
In his address, Olohunlomerue harped on the collective responsibility of Islamic preachers to promote peace and cited the precedent laid by Sheikh Olayiwola during the Ife-Modakeke crisis, calling the current leaders of the religion to emulate such a gesture.
The keynote speaker at the event, Sheikh Muhammad Jamiu Oloko, from Saki, Oyo State, emphasised the need for scholars to embody patience, fairness, and the capacity to mediate with wisdom.
Oloko warned against silence in the face of injustice and urged clerics to preach peace consistently, including within their internal religious circles.
In his submission, the Mufassir of Ifon-Orolu, Sheikh Nurain Adegoke, noted that meaningful resolution must come from within the communities and expressed optimism that dialogue among stakeholders will soon yield lasting peace.
The Chief Imam of Ilobu, Dr. Abdul-Azeez, called for introspection among Islamic scholars, lamenting the proliferation of inflammatory messages from within the clerical ranks.
Addressing the gathering, the Mufassir of Erin-Osun, Imam Sokoto, condemned those who exploited religion to escalate conflict and challenged scholars to live by the Qur’an, not just preach from it.
The representative of the state governor, Mr Munirudeen Raji, restated the administration’s earlier mediation efforts and expressed renewed commitment to peacebuilding.
Raji said Governor Adeleke would not renege on his pledge to identify and prosecute perpetrators, assuring that efforts would be sustained to restore total peace to the affected communities.
‘Meanwhile, the members of the council thereafter visited the three royal fathers of Ifon, Ilobu and Erin-Osun at their palaces where they all pledged with their subjects to cooperate with the state government in making sure tranquility returns to their domains’, the communique further read.
