Isese controversy: Emir backs group that banned traditional festival in Ilorin, warns devotees of ‘consequential repercussions’

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Isese controversy: Emir backs group that banned traditional festival in Ilorin, warns devotees of ‘consequential repercussions’

The spokesman of the Emir of Ilorin, Mallam Abdulazeez Arowona, has said that the emir and the palace are in support of an Islamic group that stormed the home of an Osun priestess to warn her not to hold any traditional religious festival in the Kwara State capital.

The PUNCH had reported that a Muslim group, Majlisu Shabab li Ulamahu Society, in Ilorin, Kwara State, went to the house of a traditional religion priestess to warn her to desist from holding any Isese festival in the state capital.

The priestess, Yeye Ajesikemi Olokun Omolara Olatunji, an Osun devotee, had reportedly released fliers announcing a three-day traditional event aimed at celebrating certain Yoruba deities.

While Arowona did not categorically state that the group was given direct instructions by the Emir or palace, he revealed that the Emir had made a public declaration against such events. He also added that Ilorin Muslims would oppose the Isese festival because they were against “idolatry”.

When asked whether the Emir of Ilorin had sent the team of Islamic clerics to Ajesikemi’s house, Arowona said, “Not at all. (However) the Emir himself made it public that no idolatry activities should be held in the Ilorin Emirate.”

The Emir’s spokesman noted that there had never been a time in history when what he described as “idolatry activities” were carried out in the Ilorin Emirate.

He said, “The Emir has made it public that he’s not in support, and he’s warned them to stay away from Kwara or Ilorin Emirate. So, any group that shares the same view and opinion with His Royal Highness can also come out and then do such, which the group you just mentioned now has done.”

“There wasn’t any time when they prominently performed events of such. No event of such has ever been associated or held in Ilorin, or within Ilorin Emirate. Our culture is Islamic-based, so we don’t promote idolatry at all.”

Speaking further, Arowona stated that the palace’s decision not to allow the Isese festival in the state was also backed by all arms of government in Kwara State.

He said, “This thing we’re talking about is not even about Ilorin Emirate alone. Even the governor himself will be up to the task as the Chief Security Officer of the state. Security officers in the state will be well-briefed, and then they’ll also do the needful because they’re the ones in charge of the protection of lives and property in the state.

“The Emir doesn’t hold a gun, neither is he a police personnel. But the instruction that has been given is enough for individual agencies to be able to play their roles. At least, for any event of such to be held in any state or any community, they’ll have to take clearance from police for them to have a lawful or, what you call, legal assembly.

“So once approval is not given by the police, because of the directive of the emir, then it’s as good as not holding. It’s a collective decision and a collective responsibility of the entire arms of government in the state to ensure that such an event does not hold, to sustain the relative peace and harmony that we’re enjoying in the state and, most importantly, in Ilorin Emirate.”

When asked whether the Emir might want to involve the State Police Command directly in case the traditionalists insisted on holding the festival, he was emphatic that the event would not hold.

He said, “No, it’s the people of Ilorin that’ll revolt against it. They will resist it. It’s not even the Emir, but the people of Ilorin Emirate who will resist and revolt against it in totality, in its entirety, because it’s not part of our culture.

“Emir of Ilorin is the Amir-ul-Muminin. Likewise, we have other groups and associations. We have the IDPU. We have several religious organisations, sociocultural groups, and elite groups; whose interests are purely to safeguard the traditions and customs of the Ilorin Emirate. So, all these people will also stand against it.

“According to the directive by the Emir of Ilorin and Chairman of the Kwara State Council of Chiefs, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, CFR, the failure to abide by the directive is tantamount to daring any unforeseen consequential repercussions.”

According to Arowona, although the Ilorin Emirate is home to people from diverse ethnic backgrounds, it doesn’t allow what he described as “alien activities”.

“All manners of people live in Ilorin – Igbo, Tapa and so on. But we don’t tolerate activities that are alien to our culture, like Igunnu and Oro,” Arowona noted.