By Demola Akinyemi

Ilorin—The Council of Ulama (Islamic clerics) in Kwara State, yesterday asked those planning to celebrate traditional religion or Ifa festival in Ilorin, the state capital, to stay away from the state, claiming it poses danger to security of lives and property.

Meanwhile, efforts to get the reaction of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on the raging controversy through his Chief Press Secretary, CPS, Rafiu Ajakaye, were unsuccessful.

He neither responded to several calls put across to his phone, nor WhatsApp message sent to his line at the time of this report.

Recall that the Kwara State Police Command had earlier advised the promoters of the festival, International Council for Ifa Religion, ICIR,   to relocate the event to another state, claiming the security report did not favour the celebration of the festival in Ilorin.

Nonetheless, the council of Islamic Clerics at a briefing yesterday warned that the Ifa festival, under any guise, would not be allowed in any part of the Ilorin Emirate, comprising Asa, Moro, Ilorin East, Ilorin West, and Ilorin South Local Government Areas, LGAs.

The Executive Secretary of the council, Salihu Mohammed, who is a former Grand Khadi of Kwara State Sharia Court of Appeal, spoke, on behalf of the Chairman of the Council of Ulama and Chief Imam of Ilorin, Sheik Bashir Salihu.

than 200 years and renowned for the Islamic faith, practice, spirituality, and knowledge, said: “It is in the light of this that we have found it extremely necessary to plead with the Kwara State government and all stakeholders to appeal to the ICIR and similar interest groups to stay away from Ilorin as available evidence convinced us that the staging of the event in Ilorin would have a serious negative consequence on the peace of Kwara State.

“We are not unmindful of the pillage of aspersions and insults mounted on our father, the Emir of Ilorin, and chairman, Council of Emirs and Chiefs in Kwara State, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari by individuals that are expected to know better, which are unfortunate, condemnable and inexcusable.

“We don’t think any individuals or group has anything to gain from the destruction of the harmonious coexistence. The people of Ilorin Emirate, particularly the Kwara State Council of Ulama cannot be coerced by any person or group of persons claiming to be representing intellectualism or atheistic practices to destroy what our forefathers have fought for.

“As community and opinion leaders in our various places of abode, we are not unaware of the readiness of various youth groups never to allow the staging of the so-called ‘Isese’  festival anywhere in Ilorin.

“To them, such activities would pollute the peace and tranquillity of the community as it is also been seen as invasion and an act of cultural imperialism.

“We as leaders, see merit in the position of the Muslim youths. We sincerely believe that it is unwise and wrong for non-residents of a community to forcefully impose imported thoughts or practices on their hosts. This is repugnant to natural justice and it will certainly lead to the brake down of law and order.”

“We must make it abundantly clear that we are not against the celebration of Isese festival. What is important to let the whole World know is that we, the people of Ilorin, have absolutely nothing to do with it. We understand the motive of their sinister and abominable move but warn that Ilorin has moved on.

“The Emirate might be a Yoruba-speaking city, but it must be realized that its present culture is no longer that of Yoruba, Hausa, Fulani, Nupe or any other, but purely an Islamic culture.  We, therefore, advise that they should allow peace to reign across Nigeria.