MUSLIMS PETITION CP OVER BOKO HARAM SCARE BY A PASTOR IN OSUN

The Osun State Muslim Community has asked the state police command to carry out a thorough investigation into a Boko Haram scare allegedly plotted by a pastor of a Baptist Church in Ikonifin, Olaoluwa Local Government Area.

The General Secretary of OSMC, Alhaji Hashim Olapade, and the first Vice President, Alhaji Mustafa Olawuyi, said this in a petition to the Commissioner of Police in the state.

A copy of the petition, which was copied to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 11, the Director of Department of Security Services, Osun State and Governor Rauf Aegbesola, was made available to our correspondent on Thursday.

The Muslim leaders alleged that the pastor and three members of the church, who on Sunday May 18 were dressed in Islamic costumes, rode on motorcycles and threw explosives into the church during a service.

The petitioners claimed that the incident, which happened between 11am and 12 noon, caused confusion in the town.

They said a large number of people in the town were injured in the confusion which ensued.

The petition read, “A fact-finding mission of the Osun State Muslim Community was dispatched to the town and the police station at Bode Osi, the headquarters of Ola Oluwawole Local Government Area and the Divisional Crime Officer, Supol Ankpan, was met and he confirmed the incident and said that no arrest was made.

“The DCO said the pastor involved was warned against a repeat of the act.

“The Muslim community frowns at the shoddy handling of the case because if the perpetrators were not overpowered and taken to the police station by the people of the town, the incident would have implicated the Muslims in the town and beyond as Boko Haram insurgents.”

The group alleged that there was a plan by the police to cover up for the pastor and his members, insisting that they should be brought to justice.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mrs. Folasade Odoro, had earlier told our correspondent that the police during investigation into the incident were told that the pastor and his members were staging a drama inside the church on the state of insecurity in the country.