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Local government

Jum'ah Prayers to Resume at Ado-Awaye Central Mosque after Four Years

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Prayers will resume at the Ado-Awaye Central Mosque in Oyo State this Friday, May 30, after a four-year hiatus following the sudden death of its former Chief Imam. The resumption comes after a court judgment delivered by Justice E. O. Ajayi on May 20, 2025, upheld the constitutional right to freedom of worship and ordered the reopening of the mosque. The mosque had been inactive since Shaykh Solahudeen Oniyo's death on August 13, 2021, during a Friday sermon, leading to a fierce leadership tussle, heightened security concerns, and eventual closure. Although prayers briefly resumed in February 2022, they were suspended again due to renewed tensions and attacks on worshippers.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Ado-Awaye Central Mosque will resume Jum'ah and daily prayers on Friday, May 30, after a four-year hiatus following the death of its former Chief Imam.
  • The court judgment delivered by Justice E. O. Ajayi on May 20, 2025, upheld the constitutional right to freedom of worship and ordered the reopening of the mosque.
  • A fierce leadership tussle ensued after the former Chief Imam's death, leading to heightened security concerns and the eventual closure of the mosque in September 2021.
  • Prayers briefly resumed in February 2022, but were suspended again due to renewed tensions and attacks on worshippers.
  • The mosque leadership has urged members and clerics to set aside past grievances and focus on spiritual healing and unity.
  • The court ruling referenced previous decisions, including Lagos State v. Abdulkareem (2022), which emphasized the inviolability of religious rights as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
  • Justice Ajayi stated, "The right to freedom of thought, conscience, or religion implies a right not to be prevented, without lawful justification, from choosing the course of one's life."

Statistics:

  • The mosque had been inactive since August 13, 2021.
  • The mosque was closed in September 2021 due to security concerns.
  • Prayers briefly resumed in February 2022 but were suspended again.
  • Justice Ajayi delivered the court judgment on May 20, 2025.

Sources:

  • NewsAgency report, May 28, 2025
  • Oyo State High Court ruling, May 20, 2025, delivered by Justice E. O. Ajayi
  • Letter from Abdul-Waheed Olowonjaye to the Chairman of Iseyin Local Government, May 29, 2025

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