(Photo) Masquerades attack Muslims for disturbing festival in Ekiti

There was violence in Ikun Ekiti, in the Moba Local Government Area, on Tuesday as masqueraders attacked Muslims in the Central Mosque for allegedly disturbing the Egungun festival.

The incident took place at sunset around 7pm when the Muslims had gathered in the mosque to observe the Maghrib prayer after breaking their fast.


It was learnt that the masqueraders were irked that the Muslims called for prayers when they were still celebrating Egungun (masquerader) festival.

The masquearders reportedly attacked the worshippers and inflicted injuries on many of them.

About five of the worshippers were said to have sustained varying degrees of injury.

The hoodlums were said to have vandalised the two cars parked at the entrance of the mosque.

The Acting Imam of the mosque, Alhaji Abdul-Rasak Abubakar-Bello, was rushed to the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, where he received stitches on his head.

Speaking from his hospital bed , Bello said the Muslims were held hostage in the mosque for four hours by the masqueraders.

“There was no way we could escape because they were waiting for us outside after initially attacking us inside the mosque. When we succeeded in locking ourselves inside the mosque, they started throwing stones at us,” he said.

Bello accused the Divisional Police Office in the area of snubbing the distress calls made to him by the Muslim community as he refused to send his men there.

The Muslim community accused the traditional ruler of the town, Oba Olatunde Olusola, of supervising the attack.

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