A violent confrontation in Oke Agbe, Akoko North Local Government Area of Ondo State has sparked widespread outrage following the invasion of a mosque and residence of the town’s Chief Imam by a group of masquerade traditionalists.
The attack, which occurred on Thursday, June 12, 2025, reportedly left several members of the Imam’s family injured.
Eyewitness accounts confirm that scores of masqueraders stormed both the mosque and the personal residence of the Chief Imam, physically assaulting his wives and children.
The motives behind the attack remain unclear, but the Islamic human rights organisation, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has described it as a targeted religious assault and a disturbing sign of rising intolerance in the region.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Monday, June 16, 2025, Professor Ishaq Akintola, Executive Director of MURIC, condemned the incident, calling it “weird, irrational and barbaric.”
“This attack is another evidence of increased anti-Muslim proclivities which Muslims now face in Yorubaland,” the statement read.
MURIC further expressed alarm over the response from traditional authorities in Oke Agbe. Rather than taking action against the assailants, the town’s monarch allegedly imposed fines on the Muslim victims.
According to the group, the Imam and his wives were ordered to pay nine goats, seven sheep, and 200 pieces of kolanut, allegedly for “cursing and screaming” at the masqueraders during the attack — a supposed breach of traditional expectations.
The penalty came with a warning that failure to comply would result in the family’s banishment from the town and a ban on the practice of Islam in the area.
MURIC has rejected what it termed a “miscarriage of justice,” calling on the Ondo State Government to intervene. “This is 21st-century Nigeria and we are supposed to be in a democracy. The fine must not stand,” Akintola said.
The group also called on the Ondo State Police Command to arrest and prosecute the attackers, stressing that the identities of the masquerade leaders are known and should not be shielded from justice.
Meanwhile, MURIC commended the local police for ensuring that Muslims in the area were able to observe Friday prayers despite attempts to stop them. However, the organisation insisted that the matter must not be swept under the rug.
“Injustice anywhere is an invitation to injustice everywhere… The masquerades of Oke Agbe have just confirmed our fears about the fate of Muslims in the South West,” MURIC stated.
The group went further to highlight what it called systemic marginalisation of Yoruba Muslims, ranging from political exclusion to economic and educational repression.The Ondo State Government and the traditional leadership of Oke Agbe are yet to issue formal responses as of press time.
Human rights advocates and interfaith dialogue groups have also begun to weigh in, warning that the escalation of such incidents could threaten the fragile fabric of religious tolerance in the South West.
The matter remains under investigation by local authorities.
