Akiolu Set To Build A Mosque In Iga Idugaran

Akiolu Set To Build A Mosque In Iga Idugaran

 

 

By Alade Ade

 

 

During a recent visit of the leaders of Lagos Muslim Community, to the Oba of Lagos and Chairman of the Lagos State Council of Obas and Chiefs, Oba Rilwan Babatunde Aremu Akiolu (1) at the Iga Idugaran (Official Palace of Oba of Lagos), he gave his visitors the good tiding of the commencement soon, of the construction of a Mosque in the palace and promised that, by the special grace of Allah next year, he shall host the Muslim community in the proposed mosque, for the annual post-Ramadan visit.

 

Oba Akiolu in the midst of his guests

 

Oba Akiolu dropped the good news, after the completion of the prayer session, while congratulating his visitors, for Allah's blessings and mercies upon them, for being alive to be part of this year edition of the annual ritual of the Imams Ratibi and Alfas Talfri of the Lagos Central Mosque, as well as those of other Islamic organizations based in Lago, who were jointly led to the palace by Alhaji Garuba Akinola Ibrahim OON (Chief Imam of Lagos) and Sheikh Abdul Hafeez Abou MFR. (Baba Adinni of Lagos).

 

 

Oba Akiolu has contributed a lot to the development of Islam on his assumption of office, as the Oba of Lagos,  part of which was the construction of a Modrassat (Islamic school) at Idi Omo, a street directly adjacent  to  the palace, as well as his annual sponsorship of indigent Muslims to Hajj.

 

His intervention, in no small way had been able to get the Saliu Onirakumi Family listed, as the third family to present candidates in rotation along with the Ibrahim and Nollah Families for the Chief Imamship of Lagos.

 

The monarch is the third Muslim Oba of Lagos, after Oba Sanusi Olusi (First in history of the city to join Lagos Muslim Hummah in Eid prayers) and Oba Musendiku Adeniji Adele (Reputed to be vast in the recitation of Surat Yasin) he was also a functional member of Ahmaddiya Society in Islam, before ascending the throne

 

It is on record that, Islam officially started in Lagos right inside the same Iga Idugaran, during the days of Oba Adele Ajosun (1), who gave his palace helps, who were of Brono descends, the permission to freely practice their religion he also granted them the authority to make public calls to prayer (Adhan), first of which was called in the palace. 

 

The unfiltered blessing given by Oba Adele Ajosun (1) to then, people of new fate, on calls to prayer, led to a big disagreement between the Oba and the Lagos traditional worshippers, especially those of Awo Opaa, who alleged that, the Islamic calls to prayer were making mockery of their Ijila deity and regarded same as effrontery on them. The issue eventually led to the dethronement of the Oba.

 

Oba Kosoko was another Oba of Lagos, who though did not openly embrace Islam, but was very friendly with the Muslim community of Lagos and was in deed instrumental to the commencement of the Islamic Weekly Jummah services in Lagos, as he was reported to have spoken to his friend, late Pa Sumonu Animashaun of Martins St/ Shitta Street, Lagos, to allow for the usage of his compound for the beginning on a Friday in 1885 and continually for several years after, for weekly event.

 

This no doubt, evidently led to the decision of the large number of Lagos Muslims, including then Chief Imam of Lagos, (Imam Saliu Onirakunmi, who happened to be the 1st Chief Imam of Lagos) to join Oba Kosoko, when he resulted to go on exile in Epe after an Obaship of Lagos that led  to the popular Awoyaya War.