Yoruba First: Religion Must Serve the People, Not Divide Them, A Call to Ilorin’s Islamic Scholars | Prince Adedipe Ewenla

It is very disturbing to observe what our respected Islamic scholars our Alfas and Sheikhs are doing in Ilorin, Kwara State, while ordinary people are running away from their homes and communities due to the rising wave of kidnapping and banditry.

For years, many of you have claimed to possess the strength, knowledge, and authority to defend the faith. You have projected yourselves as defenders of Islam, yet today, when the people truly need your courage, you are silent.

Ilorin, once known historically as Ilorin Afobaje, has now been reduced to what some call Ilorin Jeri Alimi, where religion is used as a tool of division instead of unity. Some of you, despite being sons and daughters of Oduduwa and true Yorubas, have chosen to deny your roots. You have embraced a Fulani identity simply because of religion. In doing so, you have consistently resisted Yoruba traditional rulers, leaders, and traditional worshippers in Ilorin.

Whenever you see anyone openly identifying as a traditionalist or practicing Yoruba traditional religion, you gang up against them, intimidate them, and circulate their humiliation on social media. Many of you have made yourselves self-appointed enforcers of God P.A.s to Almighty Allah fighting everyone else, including Christians, traditionalists, and even fellow Muslims.

Some among you who claim to be scholars Sheikhs and Alfas have turned into social media preachers and bloggers, attacking Christians and traditional worshippers instead of promoting peace, tolerance, and unity. Ironically, some of you have even used the same tactics against fellow Muslims who hold different opinions.

But today, Kwara State especially Ilorin has become a base for kidnappers, bandits, and terrorists, who now kill and abduct innocent people daily. Where are the same voices, the same zeal, and the same energy you often use to attack Christians, traditionalists, and their places of worship? Why not confront these criminals with the same boldness?

Why not employ the police, the judiciary, and all the state machinery that you normally mobilize to intimidate traditional worshippers and Christians, to instead fight kidnappers, terrorists, and bandits? This is the time to prove that your influence is not only about suppressing other religions but about defending your people and your land.

This situation is a reminder that God has a reason for allowing multiple religions to exist. In places where traditional religion and Christianity are respected alongside Islam, local communities work together to safeguard their people. But in Ilorin, where some reject their heritage and culture in the name of religion, insecurity is growing unchecked.

Nigeria is not a Muslim country, neither is it a Christian or strictly traditionalist country. It is a nation where all religions must coexist peacefully. Every religion has a role to play in building peace and security. Relying only on the Holy Qur’an without action against kidnappers and terrorists shows the limits of selective preaching. Let me be clear: the Qur’an is powerful, and as a Muslim, I uphold and respect it. But God Himself gave every people traditions, culture, and structures that must not be discarded in the name of religion.

Ironically, those you once insulted and dismissed as (Elebo,.Aborisa,) and enemies of Islam such as Iba Gani Adams and the traditional leaders you opposed are the very people now being called upon for help. The same traditional warriors and cultural institutions you resisted are the ones rising to defend Yoruba land.

This is a wake-up call for Ilorin and Kwara State at large. Religion should not be used as a cover for hypocrisy. If truly you have the spiritual powers, moral authority, and access to the state institutions you claim, now is the time to use them not against your fellow Yorubas or other religions, but against kidnappers, bandits, and terrorists destroying your land.

It is time to accept that Islam, Christianity, and traditional religion must all coexist under Yoruba culture and leadership. Denying your roots does not strengthen your faith only weakens your people.

Prince Amb (Dr) Adedipe Dauda Ewenla Akinjagunla Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland Technician Surveyor | Real Estate Investor | Security Expert NIS | INS | PSU | DiL | BSc | B-Tech | MSc