Benin Central Mosque: One Mosque Two Chief Iman

By Honours Akhigbe

It is a known fact that when you have two Captains in one ship, there can never be a smooth and peaceful voyage.
This scenario played up last Friday at the Benin Central Mosque where two clerics – Alhaji Abdulfatai Enabulele and Alhaji Jamiu Edosomwan presented themselves as Chief Iman and both wanting to lead the Juma prayers.
Expectedly, the worshippers were divided with some pledging loyalty to Alhaji Enabulele while others to Alhaji Edosomwan. But when the dust settled, only a handful of apparently neutral worshippers were remaining inside the mosque.
Investigation revealed that trouble started when Alhaji Edosomwan and his supporters showed face at the mosque to execute a high court judgement which declared him the rightful Chief Iman of the Benin Central Mosque.
But this was not to be as they were promptly resisted by Alhaji Enabulele and his supporters, thus leading to a fracas between members of the opposing groups. Only the timely intervention of the police and other security agents saved the situation from degenerating into a free-for-all fight.
Alhaji Jamiu Edosomwan who was ousted about 14 years ago insisted that he had been reinstated by the court to resume his duties as the Chief Iman of Benin Central Mosque and that he was there to execute the court judgment and to preside over the Juma prayer.
According to him “the order has been given by the court and I am here in the mosque to exercise my right but some of the people refused me to pray”.
But on his part, Sheik Abdulfatai Enabulele stated that he has since appealed against the High Court judgement which had reinstated Alhaji Edosomwan as Chief Iman of Benin Central Mosque, noting that he Enabulele remains the Chief Iman
However, the Deputy Chief Iman, Alhaji Ismalia Enabulele who later presided over the Juma prayer amid tight security, sued for peace among Moslems, even as some worshippers organized their private prayers outside the prayer hall, under heavy security watch.
Some of the worshippers, however, expressed displeasure over the happenings at the Benin Central Mosque where two of their leaders are fighting as regards as to who should lead.
The security agents drafted to the mosque to maintain peace left no stone unturned as they screen thoroughly all the worshippers before allowing them entry into the mosque.
Under a normal situation, there should be only one Chief Iman in Benin Central Mosque but as at the moment, there seems to be two of them, thus meaning one of them is real while the other is fake.
But who is the authentic Chief Iman of Benin Central Mosque? It is a question that only the court can answer.

It is a known fact that when you have two Captains in one ship, there can never be a smooth and peaceful voyage.
This scenario played up last Friday at the Benin Central Mosque where two clerics – Alhaji Abdulfatai Enabulele and Alhaji Jamiu Edosomwan presented themselves as Chief Iman and both wanting to lead the Juma prayers.
Expectedly, the worshippers were divided with some pledging loyalty to Alhaji Enabulele while others to Alhaji Edosomwan. But when the dust settled, only a handful of apparently neutral worshippers were remaining inside the mosque.
Investigation revealed that trouble started when Alhaji Edosomwan and his supporters showed face at the mosque to execute a high court judgement which declared him the rightful Chief Iman of the Benin Central Mosque.
But this was not to be as they were promptly resisted by Alhaji Enabulele and his supporters, thus leading to a fracas between members of the opposing groups. Only the timely intervention of the police and other security agents saved the situation from degenerating into a free-for-all fight.
Alhaji Jamiu Edosomwan who was ousted about 14 years ago insisted that he had been reinstated by the court to resume his duties as the Chief Iman of Benin Central Mosque and that he was there to execute the court judgment and to preside over the Juma prayer.
According to him “the order has been given by the court and I am here in the mosque to exercise my right but some of the people refused me to pray”.
But on his part, Sheik Abdulfatai Enabulele stated that he has since appealed against the High Court judgement which had reinstated Alhaji Edosomwan as Chief Iman of Benin Central Mosque, noting that he Enabulele remains the Chief Iman
However, the Deputy Chief Iman, Alhaji Ismalia Enabulele who later presided over the Juma prayer amid tight security, sued for peace among Moslems, even as some worshippers organized their private prayers outside the prayer hall, under heavy security watch.
Some of the worshippers, however, expressed displeasure over the happenings at the Benin Central Mosque where two of their leaders are fighting as regards as to who should lead.
The security agents drafted to the mosque to maintain peace left no stone unturned as they screen thoroughly all the worshippers before allowing them entry into the mosque.
Under a normal situation, there should be only one Chief Iman in Benin Central Mosque but as at the moment, there seems to be two of them, thus meaning one of them is real while the other is fake.
But who is the authentic Chief Iman of Benin Central Mosque? It is a question that only the court can answer.

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