Osun State Police Command has commenced full investigation into the death of a worshipper who was allegedly mobbed to death by some persons at a central mosque in Osogbo, Osun State capital.
The Muslim faithful identified simply as Hameed Najeem was mobbed to death following a misunderstanding that ensued at the mosque.
The incident happened in the early hours of Friday at Ummu Haani Adigun Memorial Central Mosque located at B. A. Adigun Street, Ayedun Estate, Ogo Oluwa Area, Osogbo.
Najeem was said to have visited the mosque on Friday morning for the dawn prayer (Subui) and had participated in the prayer alongside other worshippers before an altercation reportedly broke out between him and the Imaam of the Mosque.
Eyewitnesses’ accounts revealed that Najeem, a father of two who dealt in car painting in the capital city, confronted the Imaam during sermon and attempted to attack him.
They said the Imaam quickly ran away from the mosque to avoid being hit by Najeem, whom some accounts said appeared tipsy. Other worshippers who were surprised by Najeem’s confrontation with the Imaam were said to have mobbed him till he fell inside a gutter in front of the mosque.
A Muslim faithful who participated in the dawn prayer informed our Correspondent under condition of anonymity, that the deceased suddenly removed the tripod stand which was being used by the preacher and attempted to slam it on him.
When our Correspondent visited the mosque, another eyewitness explained that Najeem, whom he said had immense physical size and stature, was struggling with his fellow worshippers but he was eventually overpowered.
“The man came to pray at the mosque and when the Imaam was giving his sermon, he suddenly stood up and removed the microphone stand he was using and attempted to hit the Imaam.
“Some of us suspected that he was drunk before coming to the mosque. “We also sensed that the Imaam’s sermon might have touched him and that he could no longer withstand it.
“After the Imaam ran away, some other people at the mosque held him and he kept struggling with them. “They beat him and he also gave some of them teeth bites in the process.
“Eventually, fell inside a gutter at the front of the mosque before a police van came to pick him up.
“What I later heard was that he died before getting to the police station,” the eyewitness said.
Some aggrieved people who identified themselves as the family members of the deceased later stormed the mosque and accused the Imaam and some of the worshippers of killing Najeem.
Their visit in the area briefly triggered confusion and panic among residents and traders who had opened for businesses.
