The Oyo State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has taken disciplinary action against a pastor of the Christ Apostolic Church, who has been accused of assaulting a Muslim family during the Eid-el-Kabir festival in Iseyin. A widely circulated video appears to show the pastor and some members of his congregation attacking Mr. Sulaimon AbdulAzeez and his two wives. Apostle Sunday Ogundairo, the CAN chairman in Iseyin local government, has confirmed the sanctions, which include relocating the pastor’s church to a new location. Ogundairo also mentioned ongoing efforts to maintain peace in the area through dialogue with the Muslim community.
According to the Muslim family, the pastor had hired soldiers to intimidate them, allegedly due to a dispute over the direction of their festival slaughter, which they claimed was offensive to the church. However, the Muslim Rights Council (MURIC), represented by Prof. Isiaq Akintola, believes the incident was a result of a misunderstanding over previous noise pollution complaints addressed by the local king.
Akintola condemned the pastor’s actions, stating that he had mobilized his congregation and invited soldiers from the barracks to protest the placement of the ram. Akintola also criticized the involvement of soldiers, demanding a swift investigation and appropriate punishment for those responsible. He emphasized that the behavior of the soldiers was unjust, callous, and inhuman, and called on the army to investigate and punish the personnel involved without delay, stressing that “justice delayed is justice denied.”
