Confusion spread through Abeokuta on Tuesday after news broke that the Chief Imam of Egbaland, Alhaji Saad Bamgbola, had been suspended. According to our correspondent, several prominent Muslims in Egbaland announced the suspension on Monday, citing allegations of “high‑handedness, administrative exclusivity, mishandling of funds and a conflict of interest between his role as Chief Imam and his membership in another association.” The aggrieved Egba Muslim chiefs, led by former Bauchi State military administrator Navy Captain Rasheed Raji (retired), declared the suspension and appointed a second‑in‑command.
The Imams and Alfas of the Egba community quickly rejected the chiefs’ decision, calling it “an embarrassment to the Islamic religion and an act capable of causing religious war in the town.” In a press conference on Tuesday, three principal Chief Imams—representing the Owu, Gbagura and Oke‑Ona sections of Egbaland—condemned the purported suspension, asserting that only the town’s council of Islamic clerics has the authority to appoint or remove the Chief Imam. The three Imams are Alhaji Kehinde Sulaimon (Owu), Professor Kamaldeen Balogun (Gbagura) and Alhaji Muslimudeen Nasirudeen (Oke‑Ona).
Speaking on behalf of the Muslim community after a meeting at Kobiti Central Mosque, the Chief Imam declared the suspension null and void, noting that it did not follow the established procedures for appointing or removing Imams in the region. Professor Balogun warned that the suspension was ill‑conceived and could spark religious conflict, emphasizing that any decision must involve all four sections of Egbaland.
The three chief Imams issued a joint statement of confidence in Alhaji Alade Bamgbola, affirming him as the sole custodian of Islam in Egbaland. They condemned the actions of the selected chiefs, led by Navy Captain Rasheed Raji, for suspending the Grand Chief Imam without consulting the Imams of all sections. According to the statement, the chiefs had no authority to remove an Imam who was unanimously appointed by the custodians of the Islamic faith in Egbaland. The Imams urged that the spiritual functions of the Islamic community continue unhindered.
In retaliation, the clerics announced the suspension of the Egba chiefs who had participated in the original suspension. The list includes Baba Adinni, Navy Captain Rasheed Raji, Chief Abdulquadri Orunsolu, Seriki Egba, Chief Ibrahim Abudulateef Ayoola, Baba Isale Egba, Alhaji Usman Akanbi, Bada Egbaland, Chief Sherifdeen Ogunrinola, the Olori Ratibi, and Durojaiye Afuape. The clerics declared that, having acted without consultation, these chiefs are suspended until further notice.
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