ILORIN Islamists burn down home of indigenous worshipers

By Samuel Ogunsona

The home of indigenous traditional worshippers in Ilorin, Kwara State has been set ablaze.

Local sources told Irohinoodua that the worship place for traditional faithful which also served as the private home of the woman leader was burnt down by Islamic extremsists.

In a statement on Sunday made available to Irohinoodua, the Alliance for Yoruba Democratic Movements, (AYDM) condemned what it described as a terrorist attack on the home.

The statements signed by Popoola Ajayi and Rasaq Arogundade accused the state Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq of cold conspiracy in the arson attack.

By the time the fire service arrived, the blaze had already fully engulfed the building, which comprises about eight rooms.

The residential building locate at Sanu-Shehu Street, opposite Government Day Secondary School, in the Isale Koko area of Ilorin has at least 10 rooms all of which were burnt down in a midnight inferno believed to have been caused by Islamic fundamentalists.

“The State Governor is not doing enough. We need a regime of tolerance. Nobody can be the defender of God. We are aware this woman who is a traditional worshipper has been complaining of threats coming from Islamic fundamentalists to burn down the worship place for followers of indigenous religion. When she travelled home, they burnt the worship place before she came back. This is terrorism growing at Ilorin and the State Government is doing nothing,” AYDM said. The group called for immediate compensation and the protection of traditional worshipers in the ancient town.

The Kwara State Fire Service said it was aware of the fire incidence. The statement issued at the weekend by the Head of Media and Publicity to the Director, Hassan Hakeem Adekunle admitted the fire incidence took place.

The firefighters said they received information about the incidence around 8:11pm on new year day.

The Kwara State Fire Service said in a statement that
“The incident involved a building comprising about eight (8) rooms, all of which were affected by the fire. At the time of the outbreak, no occupant was at home, and the fire had already fully engulfed the building before neighbours alerted the Fire Service.

“Upon arrival, firefighters acted swiftly and professionally to contain the blaze and successfully prevent it from spreading to neighbouring buildings, thereby averting a wider residential disaster.”