•Seeks intervention of Oba of Lagos, others
•Laments disobedience of Buhari’s directive
By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
An Islamic advocacy organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has sent a Save Our Soul (S.O.S) message to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the continued seizure of the Muslim praying ground at Obalende, Lagos, despite an order by former President Muhammadu Buhari that the place be returned to the Lagos Muslim Community who are the rightful owners.
The SOS was contained in a statement made available to the media on Monday by the Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
The advocacy organization described the continued seizure of the praying ground as illegal, unjust and the mother of all impunities.
The praying ground, MURIC lamented,
was commandeered by the army and other security agencies during the military era with the Muslim rightful owners were denied access even on Salah days.
The Lagos Muslim Community, MURIC said, is now left without a befitting praying ground for its Salah (‘Id) prayers.since Its only known praying ground at Obalende has long been seized by the Nigerian security agencies who have refused to vacate the place even after ex-President Muhammadu Buhari issued an order to that effect.
The land, the organization explained, was initially given to the Lagos Muslim Community by the fourth colonial Governor General of Nigeria, Sir Donald Cameron (1931–1935), through an Indenture on August 9, 1931, ‘to hold the same unto, and to the use of the Grantees forever, free from all encumbrances.
Pointing out that it is most likely that the President will come to Lagos to celebrate Salah next week, MURIC implored the Oba of Lagos to intercede on behalf of Lagos Muslims by visiting Mr. President and raising the issue before him “when he comes home for Salah”.
In like manner, the organization equally suggested that the Muslim Community should raise a small delegation of three or five Muslims who will visit the President to discuss the issue during his visit to Lagos.
It passionately appealed to President Tinubu not to allow “this illegality to stand”, adding “As the C-In-C, he has overall power over all the security agencies. He can order a cessation of the impunity. He can inject a heavy dose of civility and the rule of law in them”. Continuing, MURIC said, “Only compliance with the earlier presidential order to vacate the Muslim praying ground at Obalende will make any sense.
“In keeping with its avowed motto, ‘Dialogue, No Violence’, MURIC will continue to use civility, decorum and all legitimate and peaceful means to register the grievances of Nigerian Muslims.
“We therefore strongly appeal to the Lagos Muslim Community in particular and all Nigerian Muslims in general, to bear with the situation until President Tinubu takes action on it.
“We have no scintilla of doubt that this will happen soon because we have a listening president”, the statement said.
The statement by MURIC, reads in full, “
“The Lagos Muslim Community is now left without a befitting praying ground for its Salah (‘Id) prayers. Its only known praying ground at Obalende has long been seized by the Nigerian security agencies who have refused to vacate the place even after ex-President Muhammadu Buhari issued an order to that effect.
“The land was initially given to the Lagos Muslim Community by the fourth colonial Governor General of Nigeria, Sir Donald Cameron (1931–1935), through an Indenture on August 9, 1931, ‘to HOLD the same unto, and to the use of the Grantees forever, free from all encumbrances.’
“However, the praying ground was commandeered by the army and other security agencies during the military era and the Muslim rightful owners were denied access even on Salah days.
“This compelled the Lagos Muslim Community to look for uncomfortably small empty spaces around Lagos Island. It created a lot of discomfort.
“This situation informed MURIC’s intervention and its resultant press statement captioned ‘Don’t Commandeer Obalende Praying Ground: MURIC Tells Army, LASG’ which was issued on 27th April, 2022.
“Seeing that the security agencies did not shift ground, a delegation of the Lagos Muslim Community met former President Muhammadu Buhari at the Villa on March 22nd, 2023 to table their request.
“Thereafter, the ex-President constituted a powerful five-man committee to investigate the matter and report back to him.
“The five-man committee, under the chairmanship of Professor Ibrahim Gambari, former Chief of Staff, had the Minister of Works and Housing, the Minister of Defence, the Director-General of the DSS, the Chief of Defence Staff and the Permanent Secretary, State House as members.
“On completion of its assignment and submission of its report, ex-President Buhari issued an order for the return of the land in dispute. This was on Monday, 28th May, 2023. The order was published in several newspapers.
“MURIC is baffled that the presidential order which was given more than ten months ago has not been obeyed.
We learnt from the Muslim Community that the occupiers are asking for an official letter stating the exact wordings of the order before they can vacate the land.
“This is most disturbing. Do we call this redtape procrastination, crass ineptitude or sheer sabotage?
