Why Threaten Falana Over Tani Olohun Case? 

By Adeola Soetan

So these lawless extremist Alfas who are threatening Falana & Sowore don’t know that it’s the fundamental right of suspects to be defended by any lawyer of their choice, and all accused persons are assumed innocent until proven guilty by a competent court of law.

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Nigeria has become a lawless jungle of rule of might and mob where people breach the constitution and fundamental rights of worshippers with impunity while the law enforcement agents go to bed snoring.

The Ilorin avoidable religious crisis degenerated this far because the police in Ilorin as a law enforcement agency failed woefully to defend the right of worship of the Osun worshippers in line with Section 10 & Section 38 (1) of the Nigerian constitution which guarantees freedom of worship anywhere in Nigeria including Ilorin. If they had arrested those lawless Alfas who took the law into their hands by invading Odo Yemoja to stop Iya Olosun and Co. from exercising their freedom of worship, the crisis would have de-escalated.

When law enforcement agencies are intimidated by religious extremists or compromise their functions of maintaining law and order, society goes into chaos. I’m yet to see anyone show us the part of the Supreme constitution that exempts Ilorin from its provisions or that declared Ilorin an Islamic town (Ilu awon Alfa) as some like to excite themselves. All those nicknames towns and states gave to themselves such as “Ilorin jina si na o summon Alujana” popularised by Mr. Fuji Ayinde Barrister are mere “feel good” appellations unknown to the constitution.

Liberal sensible Muslims should isolate the extremists from their fold because they are a bad and violent representation of their faith. The threatening expletives spewing out of the mouths of many of these social media Muslims and self-acclaimed Alfas are worse than motor park touts. One of the etiquette we were taught as very young Islamic pupils was not to be expletive even in the face of provocation. There’s nothing Islamic about these vulgar and violent-prone social media and offline Alfas.

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