By Ibn Salaah and Ibn Abdurraheem
Mallam Sulaiman after he was hit by Damilola
While many Muslim homes in Iseyin were in a joyful mood on the day of the last Eidul-Ad'ha, known in the common parlance as Ileya Festival, it was not the same for the family of Mallam Sulaiman Abdulazeez.
He and his two wives ended the day receiving treatment at Fadoks Hospital, Iseyin, over an act of serious assault against them by a pastor of Christ Apostolic Church, whose name was given as Pastor Busari Stephen, and his soldier son, Damilola Stephen, supported by a number of soldiers.
The Mallam's wife that was dragged on the floor
The incident happened at Barracks Area, Odo Omu, Iseyin, Oyo State, on 16th June 2024, around 12 pm.
On that fateful day, Mallam Sulaiman Abdulazeez had returned from the praying ground to slaughter his goat for Eid as every capable Muslim would do but to meet a great surprise from Pastor Busari Stephen and his accomplices.
Mallam Sulaiman Abdulazeez narrated that he took the goat to the front of his house to slaughter. After he did the slaughtering and allowed it to rest, Pastor Busari Stephen accosted him and challenged him as to why he should slaughter the goat facing his church.
The goat where it was slaughtered
Pastor Busari Stephen's church was some 20 meters away from the house of Mallam Sulaiman even with a road separating them both.
Mallam Sulaiman Abdulazeez said he told the pastor that he did not commit any crime since it was in front of his house he did the slaughter.
All explanations made by Mallam Sulaiman Abdulazeez made no meaning to Pastor Busari Stephen who instantly called his soldier son, Damilola Stephen, to inform him of the happening.
A few minutes later, Damilola Stephen arrived with three of his friends who were believed to be soldiers for all of them had one or two army insignias on them such as camouflage vests, boots, and others. One of them was even sighted carrying a gun while one of them was in full military gear.
The names of the supposed soldiers were given as Ogunwale Olayemi Samuel, Olusesi Blessing, and Azeez Taofeeq.
In no time, Damilola Stephen, who is said to have his army registration number as 23NA/85/11522, started beating Mallam Sulaiman Abdulazeez with a big stick inflicting serious injuries on him.
Sighting what Damilola Stephen was doing to their husband, the two wives of the Mallam, who were in niqaab (a face veil worn by Muslim women), tried to rescue him but to no avail as the rest of the 'soldiers' gave supporting hands to Damilola Stephen in assaulting the helpless Muslim family.
The other wife of Mallam Sulaiman who was hit on the head
It was in the process Pastor Busari Stephen himself hit Hajia Nafeesah Imraan, one of the Mallam's wives, on the head with an unknown weapon for she later became soaked in blood due to the gravity of the injury.
Then Pastor Busari Stephen and the 'soldiers' dragged the other wife of the Mallam, Hajia Haajar AbdurRazzaq, who was pregnant, on the floor through the staircase of his church with the intention of incriminating her.
One of the moments when Damilola hit Mallam Sulaiman on the head with a stick
Hajia Haajar suffered serious injuries to her legs in the process such that when she was to be taken to the hospital alongside others, she had to be lifted.
As if that was not enough, when Mallam Abdulazeez and his wives were taken to Fadoks Hospital, Iseyin, for treatment, Damilola Stephen still mobilised more 'military' men numbering about seventeen including the earlier ones to come and deal more blows on the family of Mallam Sulaiman Abdulazeez.
Thus, when they arrived and could not see the Mallam, they descended on those found in the house of the Mallam such as his mother and other siblings to inflict more injuries on them.
Two of the attackers and the front view of the church
The old mother of Mallam Sulaiman Abdulazeez was manhandled by one of the 'soldiers' while another 'soldier' slit open, with a knife, the palms of Daud Abdulazeez, a brother to Mallam Sulaiman Abdulazeez.
As of the press time, the matter had been reported at Iseyin Divisional Police headquarters.
Pastor Busari Stephen and his accomplices were initially arrested, hurriedly arraigned in court, and granted bail with one of them detained in the custody of a Nigerian correctional centre.
There are reports that Pastor Busari boasts that nothing would happen to him, his son, and their comrades.
Some Christian bigwigs in Iseyin are trying to sweep the matter under the carpet.
A serious lobby has been going around the city that the pastor and his accomplices should be left off the hook.
However, one of the Muslim legal practitioners, AbdulWaahid A. Olowonjaye, has petitioned the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, with copies sent to the Inspector General of Police and others over the matter.
A copy of the petition was also submitted to the office of the General Officer Commanding (G-O-C), 2nd Division of the Nigerian Army, Odogbo, Ibadan.
Meanwhile, the genesis of the crisis was traced back to a series of misunderstandings that had taken place between Mallam Sulaiman Abdulazeez and Pastor Busari over the noise that used to come from the latter's church in their usual late-night vigils.
The matter was looked into severally as far as Aseyin of Iseyin who ruled that Pastor Busari should abate the noise pollution coming from his church by any means possible. The Aseyin even suggested the use of sound acoustics for him which was rebuffed by Pastor Busari.
The community where they live had also at a time suggested to Mallam Sulaiman Abdulazeez to sell his house to the Pastor but the latter said he would not buy the house at the amount placed on it by the Mallam.
It was even Pastor Busari who at one time reported Mallam Abdulazeez at Iseyin police station accusing him of threat to his life.
Mallam Abdulazeez was arrested by the police and later released on bail.
So that was how the matter lingered on until the Ileya celebrations of 16th June 2024.
