Osun state police command has detained the leader of masquerade, Fashola Esuleke, and the Chief Imam of Kamorudeen Mosque, Qozeem Yunus, over the death of Alhaji Moshood Salahudeen during a clash between masquerades and members of the Mosque on Sunday.
It was gathered that Esuleke was quizzed by the police Thursday morning.
The Osun state president of Traditional Religious Worshippers, Dr. Oluseyi Atanda, confirmed to newsmen that Esuleke has been quizzed by the police.
Also, lawyer to the Kamorudeen Muslim Society, Mr Hazeem Abioye, told newsmen that the Imam of the society, Yunus, was invited and detained on Wednesday.
According to the lawyer, the masqueraders claimed they have two casualties, that the Imam attacked them and that is why they invited the Chief Imam for investigation.
“There is murder case on the side of the masqueraders and on the chief Imam side is assault. The reason why we have not queried the detain of Imam is that he can be there for 24 hours.
“He was invited yesterday (Wednesday) night around 10:30pm. He went to the police station himself. The allegation of assault is a bailable offence, unlike the masqueraders,” the lawyer stated.
The masqueraders led by Esuleke, Sunday attacked members of the Muslim society where they were reportedly holding prayer and shot the leader dead.
Meanwhile, the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), has called for arrest and prosecution of perpetrators of the killing.
A statement jointly signed by the Amir/Zonal Coordinator, Secretary and Public Relations Officer, Qaasim Babatunde Odedeji, Abdul-Jalil Abdur-Razaq and Mos’ud Tohir, said “those who, with callous inhumanity, snuffed life out of innocent lives in their places of worship must be fished out to squarely face the consequences of their depravity.
“We state that the pre-meditated attack is an affront on the generality of Muslims and must be condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians. We wonder why Muslims should be a target and innocent lives lost while properties are destroyed each time these Egungun worshipers celebrate their Egungun when Muslims and christians alike celebrate their festivities without rancour whatsoever. This act of barbarism must stop.
“On this, we are aware that so far, the police has arrested the leader of the Egungun worshipers but we state that all other collaborators must also be brought out for investigation and diligent prosecution. Under no circumstance should the case be compromised or swept under the carpet. A situation where some culprits are still roaming the street while some complainants are treated like suspects is not a good omen and calls for serious concern.”
