Ilorin: Confronting unIslamic rituals and restoring morality, By Basheer Luqman Olarewaju

The Holy Qur’an

If we continue to turn a blind eye to corruption within our ranks, history will judge us harshly. A community that tolerates such moral decay is only setting itself up for destruction. Our silence today will breed a generation that no longer distinguishes between truth and falsehood. Let us act now — before it is too late.

On 16 October, 2023, I wrote an open letter to the Mufti of Ilorin, Sheikh Sulyman Faruq Onikijipa, and the Ubandoma of Ilorin, Sheikh Abdulkadir Sholagberu. At the time, my concern was a young cleric, popularly known as “Alfa,” who was shamelessly promoting a so-called “ritual soap,” deceiving gullible followers under the guise of Islamic propagation.

Today, the situation has grown even more dire as a self-proclaimed cleric has been apprehended for committing callous atrocity. The heinous murder and dismemberment of Lawal Hafsoh Yetunde, a final-year student at Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin, allegedly perpetrated by Abdulrahman Mohd Ballo, a self-proclaimed cleric who goes by the name Alfa, has sparked widespread outrage and shock within the community. Yet, the silence from our vocal religious scholars is deafening.

It is both ironic and deeply troubling that when Wasiu Ayinde’s “Ganusi” controversy erupted earlier this month, our revered Alfas flooded the social media, passionately dissecting his every word. They were vocal, engaged, and unrelenting in their critique. But now, as a so-called Alfa stands accused of a crime so heinous it shakes the very foundations of our morality, these same voices have fallen silent.

Where are the fiery sermons condemning this atrocity? Where is the collective outrage? Where is the call for the purification of the Islamic pulpit? If our scholars can expend so much energy debating a mispronounced word but remain mute in the face of a gruesome crime, then we have truly lost our way.

Ilorin, the historic bastion of Islamic scholarship, is now grappling with a crisis that threatens to tarnish its legacy. For over two centuries, this city has been home to luminaries of faith — great minds who upheld the sanctity of knowledge and the integrity of Islamic teachings. Yet, today, charlatans, fraudsters, and misguided preachers have infiltrated its sacred circles, peddling falsehoods under the cloak of Islam. Their tongues drip with deceit, their actions reek of hypocrisy, and their presence desecrates the legacy of Sheikh Alimi and other righteous predecessors.

Respected Mufti, Chief Imams, and esteemed religious leaders, as the custodians of Ilorin’s spiritual direction, what steps have you taken to curb this menace? What efforts have been made, through your esteemed offices, to cleanse our minbars of these wolves in scholars’ clothing? The Council of Ulamah must awaken from its slumber and convene an urgent, community-wide conference to address this moral decay. The streets are watching, and the faithful are yearning for leadership. This is not the time for silence — it is the time for decisive action and reform.

Beyond spiritual intervention, there is a pressing need for structural and legal measures. Religious institutions have operated unchecked for far too long. A robust legal framework must be established to regulate Arabic and Islamic schools, Dawah organisations, mosques, and other religious institutions. These institutions shape the moral compass of society; leaving them unregulated is akin to allowing a rudderless ship to navigate stormy seas. If the government can license and audit banks, schools, and businesses, why should places of worship be exempt from oversight?

This is no longer solely a matter of faith; it is a matter of accountability. The rot within our religious circles must be purged, and the criminals among us must be exposed. We must be willing to deplatform, report, and take legal action against anyone — publicly or privately — who dares to soil the sacred essence of our religion. No more sweeping of atrocities under the rug. No more shielding evil with empty rhetoric. It is time to reclaim our moral authority and restore dignity to the pulpit.

If we continue to turn a blind eye to corruption within our ranks, history will judge us harshly. A community that tolerates such moral decay is only setting itself up for destruction. Our silence today will breed a generation that no longer distinguishes between truth and falsehood. Let us act now — before it is too late.

Basheer Luqman Olarewaju writes from Ilorin, Kwara State