Tragedy struck on Friday at the Ummu Haani Adigun Memorial Central Mosque, located on B.A. Adigun Street, Ayedun Estate, Ogo Oluwa area of Osogbo, the Osun State capital, where a worshipper identified simply as Najeem was beaten to death following a violent altercation during early morning prayers.
Eyewitness accounts revealed that the incident occurred shortly after the dawn (Fajr) prayer, when the deceased allegedly disrupted an ongoing sermon being delivered by the mosque’s imam.
According to sources, Najeem, said to be a printer by profession, reportedly stood up during the sermon, confronted the imam and issued threats of physical harm. The situation escalated rapidly, forcing the imam to flee the mosque to avoid being attacked.
Further investigations showed that the deceased allegedly removed the microphone tripod in an attempt to assault the cleric, prompting other worshippers to intervene. Despite the imam’s escape from the mosque premises, Najeem reportedly pursued him, leading to a scuffle as worshippers attempted to restrain him.
The struggle later spilled outside the mosque, where Najeem was allegedly beaten during the chaos. Conflicting accounts emerged over the exact circumstances of his death, with some witnesses claiming he died within the mosque premises, while others said he later fell into a gutter in front of the mosque, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Confirming the incident, the Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abiodun Ojelabi, stated that the victim was not killed inside the mosque but around the mosque premises.
“The deceased’s body has been deposited at the Osun State Teaching Hospital mortuary,” Ojelabi said, adding that the Divisional Police Officer and tactical teams had been deployed to the area to maintain law and order.
He disclosed that no arrests have been made so far, but assured that investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend those responsible for what he described as a dastardly act.
