By Adeola Badru

‘Oro’ worshippers in Iseyin Local Government Area of Oyo State, have frowned at the recent court judgement of an High Court sitting in Ibadan, prohibiting the declaration of curfew in celebration of the annual festival by adherents of the religion.

The reaction, followed the report of Saturday Vanguard of the High Court judgement delivered by Justice Justice S.L Akintola, banning the declaration of curfew for the annual celebration of Oro festival in the local government and the news conference held aftermath the judgement by the League of Imams and Alfas in the local government.

In a rejoinder issued by members of Orisa Worshippers (Worldwide) United, Iseyin, and their counsel, which was made available to Vanguard, they noted that the judgement was uncalled, adding that: “The regrettable aspect of the news conference organised by the League of Imams and Alfas is that the Applicants’ counsel in the two cases referred to above, Mr A. A. Olowonjaye, who should know the import of the judgement and the extent to which his clients could use it, was himself also at the conference and encouraged the propaganda that certain Oro rites had been abolished by the judgement.”

“Our attention has been drawn to the report circulating on social and mainstream media, of a news conference organised by the League of Imams and Alfas in Iseyin Local Government area of Oyo State on Thursday, 11th August, 2022, during which it was reported that the organisers of the event, which was allegedly held in Ibadan, Oyo State, said something to the effect that the judgment of court in Suit No. HSY/MISC. 6/ 2019 had prohibited the imposition of curfew during Oro Festival in Iseyin, Oyo State.”

We consider it necessary to make this rejoinder in order to put things in proper perspective and douse the tension which the report has generated in Iseyin and its environ.”

“There were indeed two suits instituted or caused to be instituted by a section of the Muslim community in Iseyin at the High Court of Oyo State, Iseyin Judicial Division, namely, Suit No. HSY/ MISC.5/2019: Olasunkanmi Waheed Wasiu v. Taju Afees Akande & 6 Ors and Suit No. HSY/MISC.6/2019: Alfa Yusuf Muhyideen (for himself and on behalf of League of Imams and Alfas, Iseyin) v. Oba AbdulGaniy Adekunle Salaudeen (Aseyin of Iseyin) & 16 Ors.”

“Nor would that be the first and only time this group of Muslims attempted to exterminate traditional religions and their adherents. We remember how in 2019 one Imam Suleiman Jenrade, a member of this group of Islamic fundamentalists, in his sermon (called Waasi) launched a vicious, very slanderous attack on the traditionalists. The latter, acting through their solicitor, T. O. Aworinde, wrote a petition to the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, asking him to investigate the criminal defamation and other acts likely to cause breach of the peace.”

“The police invited the culprit but rather than honour the invitation, he headed for court in Suit No. I/M. 653/2019: Imam Suleiman Jenrade v. Commissioner of Police, seeking to ostensibly enforce his fundamental rights when he apparently meant to frustrate and avoid police investigation.”

“The honourable court Per Hon. Justice R. B. Akintola in his judgment delivered on the 16th February, 2021, dismissed the suit in its entirety.”

“Both Suit No. HSY/M.5/2019 and Suit No. HSY/M.6/2019 were a culmination of the incessant confrontations which the said section of the Muslim community had always had with a group of traditional religionists, particularly Oro faithful, in Iseyin, often leading to the death of some traditional religion adherents and/or disturbance of public peace in Iseyin.”

“In the second suit (HSY/M.6/2019), the Applicant claimed millions of Naira as damages for an alleged infliction of grevious bodily harm on him by the Respondents. After a very contentious trial, the suit was dismissed for lack of proof by the court in its judgement delivered on 25th February, 2020.”

“The 16 other Respondents in the first suit (HSY/M.5/2019) were members of the various traditional religions, particularly Oro, who were said to have in 2018 infringed the fundamental rights of the same group of Muslims that instigated the second suit.”

“The applicant in the second suit claimed declarations, injunctions prohibiting the Respondents from observing their religious rites and damages of N50 million against the Respondents.”

“After about three years of contentious litigation, parties were advised to settle amicably and they all embraced the advice in good faith and dialogued. The dialogue led to the filing of a Terms of Settlement dated 29th June, 2022 and filed same date, but adopted by the respective counsel and made judgement of the court in the suit on the 30th June, 2022.”

“The main clause of the Terms of Settlement, which was the judgment in the suit, was that “Neither the Applicant nor the Respondents shall disturb, harass, intimidate, attack or do any act calculated to disturb, harass, intimidate or attack either party in the exercise of their religious beliefs.”

“The following is clearly deducible from the above:

1. That it is not a win-all situation for either of the parties in the suit as the consent judgment imposed rights and obligations on both parties;
2. That the Applicant represented only the League of Imams and Alfas in Iseyin and no other place, and the judgement is therefore binding on parties to it only; and
3. That the judgment prohibits both parties from infringing or curtailing the religious rights of each other.”

“While it is conceded that the imposition of curfew by Oro faithful is a prominent feature of the festival, only the Applicant, and, by extension, the League of Imams and Alfas whom he represented in court, could claim protection under the judgement and not anybody else.”

“The regrettable aspect of the news conference organised by the League of Imams and Alfas is that the Applicants’ counsel in the two cases referred to above, Mr A. A. Olowonjaye, who should know the import of the judgment and the extent to which his clients could use it, was himself also at the conference and encouraged the propaganda that certain Oro rites had been abolished by the judgement.”

“The insinuation at the conference by the League of Imams and Alfas, and their counsel, Mr Olowonjaye, that it had “become illegal for Oro worshippers to declare curfew for their festival as such would negate the ruling of the court” is grossly misconceived and not borne out of the judgment as they could only speak for the Applicant and those he represented in the suit and not anybody else.”

“The crux of the news conference to the effect that the consent  judgment earlier mentioned has abrogated curfew during Oro festival in Iseyin is clearly reading into the judgment what is not there, and will constitute a wilful derogation from it.”