metro

Obasanjo leads campaign to renovate 100-year-old Ogun mosque

Published

4 weeks ago

April 18, 2025

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo

Obasanjo leads campaign to renovate 100-year-old Ogun mosque

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has spearheaded the initiative to remodel the Egba Central Mosque, Kobiti, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Daily Trust reports the mosque, an architectural masterpiece, was said to have been built in 1925 on the site of the first Mosque erected in the 1830s, on a piece of land donated by Oba Sodeke shortly after the Egbas had settled there.

However, the Egba Muslim Council has begun moves to remodel the 100-year-old mosque.

The project, as outlined by the council, includes the renovation of the mosque, as well as the addition of various structures such as an administrative block, a library, a Quranic Academy, a multipurpose social hall, an Imam’s residence, a shopping complex, a medical center, and a guest house.

Prominent Nigerians donated to the project at the public presentation and unveiling of the project’s designs held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Obasanjo spearheaded the initiative, with several dignitaries in attendance, including Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, and the Alake and Paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo.

Other notable figures include former Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, former Sokoto State Governor, Aliyu Wamakko, former Nigerian Ambassador to the UK, Sarafa Tunji Ishola, Sir Kessington Adebutu, Chief Rasaq Okoya, the Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, Iya Suna of Egbaland Alhaja, Yemi Kolapo, and Senator Shuaib Salisu.

Islamic leaders at the event include Grand Chief Imam of Egbaland Alhaji Mohammad Sa’ad Bamgbola, Wakeel Muslumeen of Yoruba Land, Edo, and Delta States, Sheik Iskeel Lawal and the Grand Mufti of Ilorin Emirate, Sheikh Sulaimon Farouq Onikijipa.

READ ALSO:

Leading the campaign, Obasanjo urged guests and believers to support the mosque’s remodelling, emphasizing that such charitable acts attract divine reward.

He called on all Nigerians, regardless of religion or status, to consider the project as a collective effort and contribute to its success.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, while unveiling the project’s prototype, commended the Egba Muslim Council’s efforts and encouraged continued support from Nigerians.

He also pledged to personally engage other influential Nigerians to mobilize resources for the mosque’s completion.

Abiodun, represented by his deputy Noimot Salako-Oyedele, appreciated the project, describing it as a significant step by the Egba people, particularly the Egba Muslims.

He acknowledged Obasanjo’s role in promoting religious tolerance and harmony.

The Governor also promised to construct the mosque’s administrative block and library.

The Alake of Egbaland, reflected on the long-overdue renovation of the mosque, emphasizing the historical significance of the project and the role of stakeholders in preserving religious and cultural heritage for future generations.

Amosun promised to construct the mosque’s multipurpose hall and donated additional N100 million toward the project.

The business tycoon, Sir Kessington Adebutu, represented by his son Ladi Adebutu, also donated N100 million.

Sheikh Sulaimon-Faruq Onikijipa, the Grand Mufti of Ilorin Emirate and guest lecturer, highlighted the importance of mosques in Islam, explaining that they serve as vital centers for peace, unity, and community development. He encouraged contributions to the mosque project as a means to gain divine reward.

The committee overseeing the mosque’s remodelling, led by Alhaji Abdulhakeem Tunji-Kalejaiye, confirmed that 78 houses around the central mosque at Kobiti would be demolished to make way for the new project.

The displaced occupants will be compensated with new homes to be built on 22 acres of land in the Sodeke-Titun Sabo area of Abeokuta.

Obasanjo leads campaign to renovate 100-year-old Ogun mosque

Related Topics:campaign Featured mosque Obasanjo Ogun

Up Next

B’Haram terrorists kill soldiers, civilians in Borno

Don't Miss

Rivers: I pushed for Fubara’s removal before Tinubu saved him – Wike

metro

Nigeria’s inflation rate drops again to 23.7%, says NBS report

Published

11 hours ago

May 16, 2025

Trends Admin

Nigeria’s inflation rate drops again to 23.7%, says NBS report

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has reported a decline in Nigeria’s inflation rate, which eased to 23.7 percent in April 2025, down from 24.23 percent recorded in March.

This was disclosed in the April Consumer Price Index (CPI) and inflation data released on Thursday.

According to the report, inflation dropped by 1.86 percent on a month-on-month basis.

The food inflation rate also showed a slowdown, standing at 21.26 percent year-on-year in April.

READ ALSO:

“In April 2025, the headline inflation rate eased to 23.71 percent relative to the March 2025 headline inflation rate of 24.23 percent.

The MoM headline inflation rate in April 2025 was 1.86 percent. The food inflation rate was 21.26 percent (YoY),” NBS wrote on its X account on Thursday.

The CPI report comes just days before the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Monetary Policy Committee meeting scheduled for May 19 and 20, 2025.

Recall that the inflation rate had surged to 24.23 percent in March following the CPI rebase introduced in January. The CBN had paused interest rate hikes in February after inflation appeared to ease.

Nigeria’s inflation rate drops again to 23.7%, says NBS report

Education

UTME: Father of candidate who committed suicide over low score speaks

Published

11 hours ago

May 16, 2025

Trends Admin

Opesusi Timilehin

UTME: Father of candidate who committed suicide over low score speaks

A 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidate committed suicide on account of her low score.

The Lagos candidate, now identified as Faith Opesusi, was said to have scored 146 out of 400 points.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) released the results for its 2025 UTME on May 9.

An analysis revealed that more than 78 per cent of candidates scored less than 200 points out of the 400 maximum obtainable points.

The metrics, believed to have signalled mass failure, spurred protests from candidates who challenged the integrity of the exam.

Oluwafemi Opesusi, Faith’s father, said his distraught daughter took a liquid substance that led to her death after checking her result.

READ ALSO:

In an interview with BBC, Oluwafemi said his 19-year-old daughter wanted to study Microbiology but the dream was cut short.

He said JAMB did not release the original result of his late daughter.

Oluwafemi said his daughter was devastated and disappointed after seeing her result.

“She had a high score in 2024 UTME. This year, she was given 146. The pain of it drove her to commit suicide,” he said.

The father said he would have tried to console his daughter if she had opened up about her trauma.

He added that the family was disappointed that her daughter had taken her own life.

On May 14, JAMB admitted that a technical error in Lagos and south-east states compromised UTME results across 157 centres.

A teary-eyed Ishaq Oloyede apologised to the affected candidates and Nigerians in a televised conference on May 14.

The JAMB registrar said the error, caused by one of its service providers, affected nearly 380,000 candidates.

These candidates, he added, will now be made to resit the examination between May 15 and May 19, 2025.

As of this reporting, JAMB has yet to directly address the Faith Opesusi case.

UTME: Father of candidate who committed suicide over low score speaks

metro

Shadow Govt: Nigerians mobilisiing 500 lawyers for me- Utomi

Published

12 hours ago

May 16, 2025

Trends Admin

Pat Utomi

Shadow Govt: Nigerians mobilisiing 500 lawyers for me- Utomi

Renowned political economist and former presidential candidate, Professor Pat Utomi, says a group of Nigerians is mobilising legal support in response to a lawsuit filed against him by the Department of State Services (DSS).

Utomi made the disclosure on Friday via a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“It’s energising (that) some want to put together 500 lawyers to defend me against the DSS,” he stated.

The DSS recently dragged Utomi to the Federal High Court in Abuja, accusing him of attempting to institute what he termed a “shadow government” in Nigeria. The security agency is urging the court to classify the action as unconstitutional.

READ ALSO:

In court documents dated May 13 and filed by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Akinlolu Kehinde, the DSS argued that Utomi’s initiative was not only improper but posed a serious threat to national stability and the current democratic order.

Utomi, who contested the presidency in 2007 under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), is the sole defendant in the case.

Despite the legal action, he expressed gratitude for the messages of support he has received from around the country.

“I am heartened by messages of solidarity from across Nigeria on this shadowy business of chasing shadows of shadow cabinets. Reminds me of the Nigeria I used to know. I want to thank all,” he wrote.