Ogun State Police Command has arrested nine Oro adherents for allegedly unleashing violence on Muslims in Idi-Iroko area of Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State during the celebration of Oro festival.
The Nation learnt the Oro adherents were said have levied curfew on the people in the Local Government on Saturday, restricting residents to their homes but the stay-in-order was defied by the Muslims; who went out to observe their prayers.
It was learnt further that the Oro adherents were incensed on sighting some Muslims and Christians outside, attacked them for alleged noncompliance with the curfew during performance of the Oro ritual which was at day-break.
The Nation gathered that the Muslims and Christians in area acting on the subsisting order of the state High court sitting in Ipokia which had in its judgement few years ago, held that the Oro adherents must desist from holding their festival in day time in any part of the area, had decided to go about their lawful movement but they were beaten by the Oro followers.
Mr. Tolahat Yahya; one of the victims of the alleged attack, claimed the Oro adherents damaged his car during the festival.
He said: “We were coming back from a programme held at our mosque when the Oro adherents attacked us. They beat us that we did not obey the curfew order .
“We stood our ground and we ensure we grabbed three of them who we later handed over to the police.
“The intimidation is too much, they refused to allow us practise our religion despite the agreement that the Oro ritual will not be performed in day-break, they did not obey that.”
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed the attack on Muslims, said the suspected Oro adhetents have been arrested in connection with the incident.
Oyeyemi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) gave the names of the Oro adherents as idowu Desu, Monday Akinlolu, Dele Dada, Raimi Jacob, Dondo Sunday, Abiola Azeez, Olarenwaju Akerele, Nurudeen Lawal and Tetede Jamiu.
The police spokesman said the suspects would be charged to court for breach of peace and other criminal acts.