Iseyin community has been known with the celebration of the Oro festival among other traditional celebrations, but during the Oro festival, women were not to be seen in the public to avoid seeing the Oro masquerade.
The yearly Oro festival is celebrated in the Iseyin Local Government Area of the state, and the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan has forbidden believers of the faith from imposing a curfew during that time.
The Muslim Voice recounts the crisis that erupted during the Oro festival celebration in 2019, when the ritualists and followers of the Oro masquerade savagely attacked several persons in Iseyin and killed them.
Reports noted that the attacks were reported to the police the same day, and the Chambers of A. A. Olowonjaye Esq. contacted Governor ‘Seyi Makinde through letter dated October 12, 2018, while some of the attackers were detained but later freed without being charged.
Alfa Yusuf Muyideen (for himself and on behalf of the League of Imams and Alfas, Iseyin, (applicant)) filed suit no: HSY/MISC/6/19, Court No 7. In his ruling, Justice S.L. Akintola of the state High Court held in the terms of settlement of the case that the parties involved should settle the dispute between them on the terms that neither the applicant nor the respondents shall disturb, harass, intimate, attack or do any act calculated to disturb, harass, intimidate or attack either in the exercise of their religious beliefs.
He noted that,“Parties involved shall bear their respective coats.”
“The court observed that the parties to this suit and respective counsel executed the terms of settlement dated 29th June, 2022 and filed on the same date in this case.”
“The said terms of settlement is hereby adopted and pronounced as jugement of this court in this suit.”
Barr. Abdul-Waheed Olowonjaye, the applicant’s attorney, claimed following the hearing that the parties to the case have settled the dispute amicably in the case and filed terms of settlement dated 29th June, 2022 on the same date.
In response to the order made by Justice A.L. Akintola of the Oyo State High Court, Olowonjaye stated at a news conference in Ibadan that it has now become illegal for Oro worshippers to declare curfew for their festival as such would negate the ruling of the court.
According to him, the parties to the case which was instituted in 2019 later agreed to settle the dispute amicably and filed terms of settlement to the court on 29th June, 2022.
The case’s principal applicant, Alfa Yusuf Muhyideen, and the Chief Imam of the Iseyin Central Mosque, Sheik AbdHakeem Olayori, who was represented by Imam Abass Haadi, praised the decision and promised to abide by the ruling urging the Oro worshippers to ensure the same.
One of the defense attorneys, Barrister Diekola Rufai, commented on the verdict over the phone, saying that what the court was interested in was peaceful coexistence of all the parties as neither the Muslims nor the Oro worshippers should disturb each other in the cause of their religious activities.
Respondents in the lawsuit include the late Oba Abdulganiy Adekunle Salaudeen, the Aseyin of Iseyin; Taju Âgées Akande, Fasola Oyewumi (The Oniko Ile Agbaa), Lamidi Aaba (Aaba Itan), Basiru Ajala (Aaba Odo), Amusa Esinjowo (Aaba Ilado), Bamimore Omonje, Idawole Ifadahunsi, Ifagbemike Adigun, Jimoh Ile Ogba, Fatai Bongo, Taju Eye, Leyin Fagbemileke, Rasheed Elebo, Toyin Ogundiran Akeeke, Olaogun Ogunyemi Olosan and Wasiu Muhyideen Olosan.
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