BREAKING: Aiyedatiwa reopens Ikare Central Mosque after four-year closure

By Boye Oyeyemi

Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has directed the immediate reopening of the Ikare-Akoko Central Mosque, which had remained shut for nearly four years.

The governor issued the directive on Monday during the annual Ramadan Iftar organised by the Ondo State Government at the Dome International Event Centre.

Aiyedatiwa equally seized the opportunity to announce that the Grand Chief Imam of Ikare, Sheikh Abubakar Muhammed Abbas, would continue to lead Islamic prayers and religious activities in the community.

While urging the Olukare of Ikare, Oba Akadiri Momoh, the Grand Mufti of Ikare, Sheikh Shehu Batuta, and the Chief Imam, to ensure that unity and peace are maintained in the Mosque, the governor noted that the decision to reopen the Mosque is aimed at restoring harmony among Muslims in the town.

Western Post confirmed that the Mosque was originally shut by the administration of former Governor Rotimi Akeredolu on October 18, 2022, amid rising tensions from a leadership dispute within the Ikare Muslim community.

It was also gathered that Sheikh Abbas’s appointment followed the recommendation of a special committee chaired by Sheikh Batuta.