Ritual Killing: Ilorin Emirate Union launches databank initiative to combat rogue clerics

Vanguard News

Worried by the need to rid Ilorin of crooked clerics, the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU) has expressed commitment to partner with the state branch of the Council of Ulama to provide a Data Bank of Islamic clerics and Scholars in the state.

IEDPU made the commitment on Saturday during a meeting with Islamic scholars, Muslim preachers, Islamic organizations, and media representatives at its National Secretariat in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara state.

The meeting was aimed at discussing and finding solutions to contemporary challenges facing the community.

Recall that an Islamic cleric identified as Abdulrahman Bello was allegedly linked with the murder of Hafsoh Lawal, a final-year student of Kwara State College of Education recently, a development that had generated concerns.

The Kwara State Police Command had, however, arrested the cleric and four other accomplices for the grievous murder of the 24-year-old student.

The suspect, who was arraigned before Magistrate Sanusi Mohammed, is currently being detained at Ilorin Correctional Center. The case was adjourned to March 6, 2025, for further hearing.

In his address at the meeting over the weekend, the National President of IEDPU, Alhaji Abdulmalik Abdulmumini, expressed concern that the recent crime of the cleric badly damaged the image of Ilorin, which had hitherto remained high, especially in the practice of Islam in both the North and Southern regions of the country.

He nevertheless commended Islamic scholars for their dedication and commitment to propagating Islamic values.

He said, “Islamic scholars, preachers and clerics should continue to make Ilorin proud through their messages and actions. Be upright in their conduct and avoid anything that could embarrass Islam or the Ilorin Emirate. Refrain from insulting or abusing each other on social media or in sermons, and always follow the Quran and Hadith as guiding principles for their preachings.”

The IEDPU President said the union is ready to collaborate with other bodies to sanitize the society.

He said, “IEDPU can partner with the Kwara State Council of Ullamahu, led by the Chief Imam of Ilorin, Sheikh Solihu Bashir, to create a Database of all Islamic scholars, Imams, and Mudeerproprietors of Islamic schools to enhance coordination and accountability.”

For his part, Retired Grand Khadi of the Kwara State Shariah Court of Appeal Justice Solihu Muhammad urged scholars to emulate the morals and values of past Islamic leaders who, through their sermons, played key roles in protecting and sensitizing the community.

In their responses, various Muslim preachers and Islamic organizations appreciated IEDPU’s initiative and described the program as timely.

However, they called on IEDPU to Enforce discipline on any scholar who misbehaves, whether on social media or in real-life sermons.

It would be recalled that Islamic spiritual leaders in the state, under the aegis of the Kwara State Council of Ulama, at a press conference held in Ilorin last week Tuesday, said that it would support all actions taken by the Police to ensure that the family of the slain lady got justice for the killing of their daughter.

A retired Grand Khadi of Shari’a Court of Appeal, Justice Mohammad, who is the Secretary of the Council, at a press conference condemned the murder of Hafsoh Lawal by one Abdulrahman Bello, believed to be an Islamic cleric for ritual maintained that Islam religion forbids the killing of a human being for any purpose.

He said, “The council condemns the murder of Miss Hafsoh Lawal by Abdulrahman Bello for ritual purposes.

“Our religion forbids the killing of another soul, which is a grave crime in the sight of our Creator. For a young lady who was full of life to be cut down in her youth, her killer has definitely committed an unpardonable offence against Allah, who has warned us to be righteous at all times.us to be righteous at all times. (See Qur’an Suratul Maidah. Surah 5, verse 32 and Suratul Israi, Surah 17, Verse 33).

“We commiserate with the family of Hafsoh, who has been thrown into mourning due to the unGodly act of Abdulrahman. In this moment of grief, it is only Allah who can console the family.”

Urging the Police to carry out a thorough investigation into the alleged murder of the female student, Justice Mohammad said, “As a Council, we are interested in the course of Justice for Hafsoh and her family.

While we thank the Kwara State Police for the efforts so far, our appeal is for the command to be thorough with its investigations, and anyone found to be involved in the criminal act should be brought to book to serve as a deterrent to others with criminal intentions of wasting lives for ritual undertakings and also to serve as a major endeavour to clean up our society and direct people’s minds to piety and righteousness.”

He added, “We will not relent in assisting the security agencies in getting to the root of the matter.

“As a first step, a meeting is being planned with various Muslim leaders and clerics on how to avoid this kind of occurrence in the near future from taking place in our state and the nation.

“We will also double our efforts in preaching the correct attitude towards the propagation of Islam, adding that ”ever since the unfortunate incident occurred, the Council has stepped up its activities in counselling our Alfas and the other clerics on the best conduct in preaching the religion of Islam; that our town and state have been known for, through the ages.”

The Council, however, called on Nigerians to avoid profiling any community for the sinful acts of a few individuals, saying that “Ilorin and, indeed, Kwara state, are not homes for ritualists. We are known for our Islamic culture, of which ritualism is not a part. We call on all Nigerians to avoid profiling any community for the sinful acts of a few in our midst. Ritual acts are offensive to all known religions. We must all rise and be counted in the war against it.”

Similarly, the Muslim Ummah, a renowned Ilorin-based Muslim body with members in the South-West on Wednesday, blamed the non-signing of death warrants by many of the governors since Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999 as one of the major reasons why ritual killings have risen particularly among the youths in the country today.

The Amir of Muslim Ummah, Alh Abdur-Razzaq Abdulwahhab Al-Ameen Aladodo said this at a press conference in Ilorin on the sideline of the ritual killing of Hafsah Yetunde Lawal by AbdulRahman Bello. He condemned the murder and disowned Bello, adding that he’s not an Alfa.

The Amir urged all the state governors, particularly Kwara state, to sign death warrants in order to drastically reduce cold-blood murder and ritual killings in the country.

According to him, it’s a breach of trust for the governors not to sign the death warrant; the governors are supposed to know that anyone convicted by court should be executed. The governors are implored to sign the death warrant.

It’s unfortunate that since the inception of democracy in 1999, only two governors signed the death warrants: the late governor of Kogi state, Alhaji Abubakar Audu and the former governor of Edo state, Comrade Adams Oshiomole. This is one of the major reasons ritual killings have not been reduced in Nigeria.”