Sowore called for his immediate release, noting that it was obvious that the police did not do any investigation before arresting Talolorun.
Adegbola Abdulazeez, a popular Kwara traditional worshipper and activist known as Talolorun (Who is God), who was remanded by a magistrate court in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, was accused of planning to start a war in the city by "inviting other traditional and idol worshippers to assemble in Ilorin on the 20th of August, 2023", among others.
Human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore on Saturday disclosed that he had obtained a copy of the "bogus criminal charge sheet used in falsely and illegally targeting and detaining Abdulazeez Tani Olohun and it is now completely obvious that he was being witch-hunted for his outspokenness against some people in Ilorin, Kwara State".
Posting the charge sheet on his X (formerly Twitter) handle with #FreeTaniOlorun Now, Sowore called for his immediate release, noting that it was obvious that the police did not do any investigation before arresting Talolorun.
He said, "From the charge sheet, the police did not do any investigations, it was all hearsay from a purported petition written by an amorphous group who did not want to permit the freedom of religion and freedom of speech.
"The Nigeria Police Force acted unprofessionally by arresting and persecuting the activist. They must withdraw these charges and release him with immediate effect. At best these are civil complaints. #FreeTaniolohun NOW! Otogee! #RevolutionNow."
The charge sheet is titled, "Nature Of Offence: Criminal Conspiracy, Insulting Or Exciting Contempt Of Religious Creed, Criminal Defamation And Inciting Disturbance Contrary To Section 97, 210, 392 and 114 Of Penal Code Law."
It reads, "On 03/08/2021 at about 1300hrs, the above captioned case was reported to the commissioner of police, Kwara State command, through a letter of petition written by Association of Proud Sons and Daughters of Ilorin Emirate, Ilorin, Kwara State against you Adegbonla Abdulazeez Talolorun M of No 53 Adeyemo Layout, Molete, Ibadan, Oyo State for discreet investigation.
"That sometime lately in the month of July 2023, the attention of the president, Alhaji Muritala Abdulkareem Baba Bariga and other members was drawn to the videos on Youtube channel that were posted by you Adegbonla Abdulazeez Tololorun wherein you blasphemed Islam religion, burnt Qur'an, defamed some Islamic scholars in Ilorin.
"That you specifically mention Alfa Ahmad Labeeb Agbaji, Alfa Abdulsalam Baba Tonile Okuta-Agidi, that his father, late Mohammad-Lawal Okuta Agidi that was an idol worshipper, fake cleric and has a shrine in Ilorin.
You also defame Chief Iman of Offa Alhaji Muhideen Salman Hussein.
"They also stated that you are threatening to cause war in Ilorin and its environs by sending different write-up on your page on social media inviting other traditional and idol worshippers to assemble in Ilorin on the 20th of August 2023.
"Investigation conducted at the surveillance section, State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Ilorin, revealed that you Adegbonla Abdulazeez Talolorun 'M' of No 53 Adeyema layout, Molete, Ibadan Oyo State, criminally conspired together with others at large, to insult Islamic region, defamed the character Alfa Ahmad Labeeb Agbaji, Alfa Abdulsalam Baba Tonile Okuta-Agidi and Chief Imam of Offa, Alhaji Muhideen Salman Hussein."
SaharaReporters on Friday reported that Talolorun was arrested in Ibadan on Wednesday, August 16 and taken to a police station in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, based on a report by The PUNCH.
SaharaReporters noted that Talolorun’s case might be connected to the ongoing controversial religious issues in the state following the insistence of the Emir of Ilorin, Ibrahim Sulu Gambari and some Islamic groups that the Isese festival should not hold in the city.
He was also accused of burning the Quran on fire and insulting the Chief Imam of Offa, Muuhideen Hussein. He was also accused of describing a dead Islamic cleric as fake and inciting the public against the authorities in Ilorin.
In a YouTube video uploaded Thursday, Talolorun reportedly discussed the outcome of a previous meeting between Isese practitioners, their lawyer and the police regarding the ban on Isese festivals in Ilorin.
He was quoted by PUNCH as saying: “We (Isese devotees) went with our lawyer to the police station in Ilorin and everyone involved in this case was served, including the Emir of Ilorin.
“Isese devotees are peace-loving people, we are not troublemakers, we simply wanted to celebrate our festivals but were stopped and asked to seek permission. When Muslims want to celebrate Sallah, do they need permission to do this as well? Why demand that from Isese worshippers?
“The commissioner of police, who said we do not have permission to celebrate our festivals in Ilorinm, has also been served court papers, he should come out and explain where this was stated in the constitution of Nigeria.
“Despite offering to change the location of our festival from the Yemoja river in the state to another, we were still denied this. Is the police not supposed to support and protect us? Now, the commissioner of police, the Emir of Ilorin, and everyone closely involved in this case have been served court papers.
“The proposed August 20th Isese day will hold even though these emirs have connived with the police to stop the celebration. I received so many threats from online bullies unbeknownst to me, these alfas were conniving with the police to ensure the festival never holds.
“You see at this point, those advocating for Isese devotees to stay away from Ilorin, need to stop. Is there another law besides the Nigerian constitution? We all have the right to worship.”
“At this point in this land of Ilorin, called the Emirate, the Isese worshippers will have the right to worship as well. Why is it so hard for the alfas to preach peace and allow everyone to celebrate how they wish? Shouldn’t we all be preaching and seeking for peace to reign in the same state we all love?” Talolorun asked.
SaharaReporters reported on Tuesday that the International Council for Ifa Religion (ICIR) had decided to suspend its planned Isese festival in Ilorin, due to the prohibition of the festival by the Kwara State Command of the Nigeria Police Force.
The council made the announcement on Tuesday via a statement signed by its President, Oluwo Solagbade Popoola.
The ICIR alleged that the police during a meeting with traditional worshippers on Monday declared that the proposed Isese Day which was earlier slated for August 20 should not hold due to security reasons.
In July, it was reported that a Muslim group, Majlisu Shabab li Ulamahu Society, went to the residence of a traditional religion priestess in Ilorin, to warn her not to hold her planned Isese celebration in Ilorin.
The priestess, Yeye Ajesikemi Olokun Omolara Olatunji, an Osun follower, had reportedly distributed posters announcing a three-day traditional celebration honouring various Yoruba deities.
However, the Muslim group, which described the Isese festival as idolatry, stated that the Emir of Ilorin had made a public pronouncement against such events.
In his suit, Omirhobo requests that the court rule that Ilorin, like the rest of Nigeria, is a multi-religious and multicultural society/city, and that "the respondent has no constitutional powers or authority to ban and/or prohibit the Isese festival in Ilorin, Kwara State, which made it impossible for the applicant to commune, felicitate, celebrate, merry, bond, and worship with the community of African traditionalist/Olokun worshippers."
He wants the court to make an order of “perpetual injunction” restraining the Emir and his agents “from embarrassing, coercing, bullying, harassing, intimidating, tormenting, torturing, dehumanising, debasing, and frustrating the applicant from enjoying his fundamental rights to dignity of his human person, freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly and association and freedom of movement with other Olokun worshippers in Ilorin, Kwara State in private and in public.”
The legal practitioner told SaharaReporters that the case had yet to be assigned to a judge by the state judiciary.