Isese Festival: Kwara CP Meets With Warring Religious Groups In Ilorin, Warns Against Offensive Social Media Posts

Ilorin, the Kwara state capital, has been in the news lately following media reports of plans by traditional religion worshippers to hold one festival or another in the ancient town.

Some residents of the state capital had voiced opposition to this and asked the traditional religion worshippers to stay away from the city understandably because Ilorin is predominantly Muslims

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Spokesman for the Kwara state police command, Mr. Ajayi Okasanmi, a Superintendent of Police,  in a statement made available to Team@orientactualmags.com on Thursday disclosed that the state police chief,  Ebunoluwarotimi Adelesi, a Commissioner of Police, has met with representatives of the two warring religious groups and urged them to caution their ‘people’ against offensive social media posts.

The CP  added that  while the right to freedom of religion as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution ‘is sacred’, recognizing and respecting the culture and the tradition of the people ‘is also important’.

‘The Kwara state Police Command wishes to advise the good people of Kwara state, especially people of diverse religious beliefs, to exercise restraint in expressing grievances whenever they arise.

This advice becomes necessary in view of recent happenings between some Islamic clerics and some traditional worshippers popularly called ‘Isese’ in Ilorin metropolitan areas.

There are lots of inciting videos circulating on different social media platforms from both religious bodies threatening fire and brimstone if one thing or the other was not done, bringing into doubt the belief that Kwara state is a State of Harmony.

In order to douse the tension, the Commissioner of Police, Kwara state, CP Ebunoluwarotimi Adelesi, psc+, FISN, invited the two groups to a meeting where both parties were given the opportunity to air their grievances and a middle-of-the ground agreement was reached.

Consequently, both parties were advised to maintain the peace while a lasting solution to the crisis is sought.

The CP also advised the parties to warn their followers posting inciting videos on social media platforms to desist forthwith, noting that Kwara state is a State of Harmony, and as such, all hands must be on deck to ensure that every effort must be made to make the state remain so.

To this end, teams of policemen have been deployed to extensively patrol the city and arrest anyone found undermining the efforts of the security agencies to secure the state.

Finally, the command wishes to emphasize that while the right to freedom of religion as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution is sacred,  respect for the culture and tradition of the people in a particular community is also important’ the statement said-Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980. Thank you