By: Sodiq Lawal Chocomilo
Ilorin, the town near heaven and far from hell, has returned to the social media map. This time, the Timi of Ede, Oba Munirudeen Adesola Lawal, did not stoop down to receive Ilorin’s Emir, Oba Kolapo Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari. No traditional devotee was denied his or her rights to adore deities. There is no group of Islamic clerics invading Iya Osun’s home or privacy because she posted a graphic design on social media to announce the town’s Osun goddess celebration. A Muslim turned traditionalist known as ‘Tani Olorun’ did not abuse Ilorin Ulamas or test the effectiveness of voodoo on any Islamic cleric. Abdulrahman Bello, an Ilorin-based Islamic preacher, is the new lubricant for the town’s image on the national map.
On Saturday, February 15th, officials of the Nigeria Police Force arrested Abdulrahman Bello, an Ilorin-based Islamic cleric, for allegedly murdering and dismembering Ms Yetunde Lawal, a final-year student at Kwara State College of Education. The terrible incident has piqued the interest of major figures, particularly the Emir of Ilorin, who has vehemently condemned the deed, urged people, particularly youths, to work hard, and directed Islamic clerics to enhance moral lectures. Ilorin clerics’ social media pages have been flooded with sermons criticizing the conduct and pointing accusing fingers at sectarian views, among other things.
The struggle against money ritualism has begun in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State. The evangelism against money ritualism is spreading rapidly, from homes to streets, markets, mosques, and schools. As Islamic clerics assign blames across sectarian lines, they struggle to build a picture of division and segregation. When I critically examined the magnitude of recent efforts against money ritualism and the counter-arguments that followed, I naturally wondered what they had been teaching over the years about morals for the Emir and clerics to believe that the recent outbursts would adjust or reform the societal decay caused by bad orientation.
These Islamic clerics who condemn Ms. Yetunde Lawal’s murder and dismemberment do so for more than just moral reasons. In their words and methods of condemnation, I perceive a group of extremists who are more concerned with safeguarding the reputation of the town, Ilorin, and the religion, Islam, than with the action itself. They appear to be more interested in the case since the suspect is a Muslim, an Islamic cleric who committed the act in Ilorin, a clearly overrated holy town of saints. If the suspect had been an Ifa priest or herbalist, it would have exacerbated the clarion call of certain social media irritants who wear religious bias dresses, claiming that a portion of people in Ilorin do not deserve to worship their gods due to their beliefs.
While the story of an Ilorin-based cleric murdering and dismembering his young lover is trending, prompting the Ilorin Ulamas to work on repositioning the narrative on the national map of morality and character, the story of an Ekiti-based herbalist reporting to the police a case of a 23-year-old young man who wanted to use his elder sister’s 6-year-old son for money ritualism surfaced on social media.
Ilorin is a Muslim-populated town that is not friendly to African religions. Ado-Ekiti is a town that is predominantly Christian and tolerant to African religions. If you need a reliable Ifa priest, head to Ekiti. Without Ekiti, the Yoruba deity and goddess history would be incomplete. Most domesticated shrines in Yoruba towns can be traced back to Ekiti. The Ado-Ekiti herbalist informed the police about a young man’s effort to use her elder sister’s son for ritual purposes, while an Ilorin-based Islamic cleric murdered and mutilated his lover barely six hours after Valentine’s Day – the season of love.
The narrative I’m promoting is simple. And I sincerely hope that the clown who sits on the revered throne of Iwo town, as well as others who launch a calumnious campaign against Yoruba traditions, tarnishing the very essence of the Yoruba race with damning allegations of the use of human parts for sacrifices, recognize that crime and disrespect for humanity are not based on gender, religion, or cultural associations. It is solely reliant on individuals and perspectives that support such thought.
Two years ago, I wrote a report about money ritualism. The story was published by www.withinnigeria.com, a Lagos-based newspaper in 2022. According to the cases I investigated, money ritualism is common among prophets and Alfas than herbalists. During my investigation, I learned that herbalists are more interested in voodoo or charms that promote hard effort. This simply means that they will ask you to obtain work or a business before performing any voodoo or charms for you. The majority of herbalists I visited inadvertently revealed that they practice voodoo to improve business performance or wealth, not money ritualism, although certain prophets and Islamic clerics were willing to execute money rituals without any employment or business at hand.
Personally, I support the struggle for the restoration of morality, hard work ethics, and respect for people, without bias, coloration, or assigning blame. We must be consciously motivated to look at our problems critically and allow for a fresh perspective. I’ve read and heard from intelligent traditionalists, and no one has ever characterized Islam as a religion that promotes money ritualism simply because an Ilorin-based cleric does. They criticized the action and urged the government to punish the perpetrators severely. They did not represent Islam or Ilorin as ‘evil entities’. That is the type of crusade we should all go on. A fight against evil or crime that is free of color, religion, or identity bias.
Yahoo boys currently exist at every level of society. We now have them as role models. Parents are now looking for loans to buy computers for their children to learn Yahoo-yahoo. These crooks have now entered politics and attained various political positions. They are presently raising children. They have now become monarchs and captains of enterprises with the money they got from frauds. Pastors now offer them front seats in churches and place them on the first roster. Imams now conduct special prayers for them because people donate money to buy prayer mats, speakers, microphones, and assist them pay bills. They’ve infiltrated every institution in the country. From the media to the police, the courts, and the government, they now sit to decide and run our affairs. I sincerely hope that the Ilorin jihad recognizes the scope of the task at hand. Our society is in ruins, and we’re in deep trouble.
We need to progress as a society. The privileged must stop taking advantage of the naivety and systemic ignorance of the majority of Nigerians. We must advocate for a society that does not tolerate religious fanaticism or those who profit from religious bigotry. We must deal with criminality decisively. We cannot assign a certain crime to a particular group, tribe, religion, town, or creed because crime is universal in nature.
