Shockwaves are reverberating across Yorùbáland and the global Yorùbá diaspora following the sudden death of the Baba Ọba (King’s Father) of the famed Oyotunji African Village in South Carolina, USA. The late Baba Ọba, Lukman Arohunfale, a revered socialite and traditionalist, passed away under circumstances already sparking fierce controversy. His death comes just days after he publicly accused the newly installed Alaafin of Oyo, His Imperial Majesty Oba Akeem Adéyẹmọ Owoade, of allegedly ordering his courtiers to beat him mercilessly during a recent courtesy visit to the Oyo palace in Nigeria. In a widely circulated voice recording, the deceased recounted how what was meant to be a simple homage turned violent. Although the Baba Ọba had reportedly battled ill health in the past year, growing insinuations suggest that the alleged physical assault may have aggravated his condition, ultimately leading to his untimely death. The palace in Oyo recently denied that s...
A Shiite leader identified as Mallam Umar Qassem, who was reportedly shot during a protest in Abuja a few weeks ago, is reportedly dead.The Shiite leader died while demanding the the immediate release of their leader Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, who was arrested by the Nigerian Government since 2015. Here are photos below;
Recall that in December 2015, the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, a Shi’te Islamic group in Nigeria, Ibrahim Elzakzaky, was arrested by Nigerian troops, following a siege on his Zaria residence.
The Nigerian Army and members of the sect had accused each other of instigating attacks that led to the death of members of the movement.
While the Army accused the Shiite followers of attempting to assassinate Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, the Islamic movement said soldiers simply decided to attack “defenseless people”.
The confrontation occurred as members of the sect, known as the Islamic Movement, were conducting their annual “Changing of Flags” ritual to usher in the month of Maulud, the birth month of the Prophet Mohammed at their headquarters in Zaria.
It was gathered that the Nigerian troops sustained a crackdown on the members of the sect throughout the night as heavy shootings and sounds of explosions were heard in Gellesu and Sokoto Road, where Hussainiyya – the spiritual centre of the sect – is located.
Kaduna State Police Commissioner Shehu Umar said Islamic Movement leader Ibrahim Zakzaky had been arrested by the military in an early-morning raid on his home, but declined to give details.
In the course of the raids, Zakzaky’s deputy Muhammad Turi, who is normally based in Nigeria’s second city Kano, was killed as was the sect spokesman, Ibrahim Usman, at Zakzaky’s house, group members said.
Usman had said at least seven people were killed in the clash over the convoy but the army had carted the bodies away. A sect statement on Sunday said that “tens of other members” had been killed and named seven people, including Turi.
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