PHOTOS: How Ogbomoso Chief Imam ate humble pie, begged Soun on bended knees at Police headquarters 

New information has emerged on how the Chief Imam of Ogbomosho, Sheikh Teliat Yinusa Ayilara, finally ate the humble pie and went on his knees to beg for forgiveness from the Soun of Ogbomosoland Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye at the Oyo State Police Command Headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan on Tuesday.

The chief Imam has been embroiled in a controversy with the Soun Ogbomosho, following his recent trip to Saudi Arabia without the monarch’s approval, violating existing regulations. The development led to back-and-forth accusations and counter-accusations between Soun’s Palace and Imam Ayilara. The Ogbomoso Muslim Community was also dragged into the matter.

Recent reports indicate that the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Ayodele Shonubi had stepped in and reconciled the king and the chief Imam.

But a source has dismissed the prevailing narrative that the Oyo State Police Chief arranged and brokered a peace deal between the two.

According to the source who spoke with Ogbomoso Insight online, contrary to reports, the Soun and Imam Ayilara meeting was not planned.

“It was actually an impromptu encounter, and never planned at least to the knowledge of Kabiyesi. What happened was that Oba Ghandi Olaoye instructed his lawyer to write a letter to the Commissioner of Police when the actions of the Chief Imam became uncontrollable and suffused with hate speeches and was on the verge of igniting a breach of peace in the town.”

Based on the strength of the petition, the police invited the chief imam for questioning.

“You know how police do their work, the Chief Imam wrote a statement and was thoroughly interrogated, Assistant Commissioner of Police Martins Bamigboye the OC, State Intelligent Department (SID), was in charge of the matter,” the source added.

The Soun was also coincidentally at the police headquarters to shed further light on the situation and specifically address security issues in Ogbomoso.

“l would like to describe what happened subsequently as an ambush against the Kabiyesi because the police officers perhaps out of goodwill brought the Imam to beg the Oba for forgiveness. The police officers also joined to plead with Kabiyesi, ensuring that the Imam’s pleas be accepted.

“So that is what happened it is not that a meeting was convened to settle the matter by allowing the two parties to state their cases. Never! That is condescending to the status of Kabiyesi even though he is a man of peace.”

The source revealed that the chief imam, acting on the advice of police officers, apologised to the monarch, with officers also joining him in appealing to the king as the Imam Ayilara went on his knees to beg for forgiveness.