A group of masquerade traditionalists reportedly invaded the mosque and residence of the Chief Imam of Oke Agbe, Akoko, in Akoko North Local Government Area of Ondo State on Thursday, June 12, 2025, assaulting the Imam’s wives and children.
The Islamic human rights organization, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has condemned the incident in strong terms, describing it as “irrational, barbaric, and another evidence of growing anti-Muslim sentiments in Yorubaland.”
In a statement released on Monday, June 16, by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, MURIC revealed that the attackers not only assaulted the Muslim family but were also allegedly shielded from consequences, while the victims were penalized by local authorities.
According to the statement, the town’s monarch imposed heavy fines on the Muslim victims, allegedly because the women “screamed and cursed the masquerades while being beaten instead of crying and begging.” The fines reportedly include nine goats, seven sheep, and 200 pieces of kolanuts, with a deadline of Monday, June 16, 2025, or face banishment from the town and a prohibition of Islam in the area.
MURIC described the punishment as unjust and a “miscarriage of justice,” calling on the Ondo State Government to intervene, rescind the banishment threat, and curb what it termed “the excesses of the king.”
The organization also urged the Ondo State Police Command to arrest and prosecute those involved in the assault, emphasizing that the attackers are known and not anonymous.
“We commend the local police for allowing Friday prayers to hold despite intimidation, but we insist this case must not be swept under the carpet. Injustice anywhere is an invitation to injustice everywhere,” Akintola stated.
MURIC further decried what it described as widespread persecution of Yoruba Muslims in the South West, alleged discrimination in politics, education, employment, and religious freedom.
“The masquerades of Oke Agbe have just confirmed our fears about the fate of Muslims in the South West. Yorubaland has become another Siberia for Yoruba Muslims. It is persecution galore,” the statement read.
MURIC called for urgent action from state authorities to restore justice and ensure peaceful coexistence among religious groups in the region.
