Emir of Ilorin urges indigenes to combat political thugs

From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

Emir of Ilorin Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari has urged Ilorin indigenes and people of Kwara state to rise against political thugs who might be behind the violence in the state.

Gambari, who stated this while addressing some Muslim congregation at Ilorin general Eid ground on Monday after two rakkats to break this year’s Ramadan fast, noted that the recent violence in Ilorin by political thugs were not perpetrated by “real Ilorin indigenes”, but those thugs dislodged in Lagos state by Governor Raji Fashola.

The Chairman of Kwara State Traditional Council explained that if they were real indigene of the town, they would have listened to the order of elders and traditional rulers in the state.

The monarch, who charged real indigenes of Ilorin and Kwara state to rise against them and combat incessant violence, said the state is known for its peaceful nature and nobody should be allowed to throw it into anarchy.

He urged the state government to provide more employment to jobless youth in the state stressing that “an idle hands is the devil workshop”.

Earlier, the Chief Imam of Ilorin, Alhaji Mohammed Bashir, in his sermon, appealed to all Muslims and leaders in the state to continue to exhibit good deeds demonstrated during the just-concluded Ramadan, stressing that they can’t predict when death will take them away.

The Eid prayer was attended by Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, some state government cabinet members and other eminent indigenes in the state.