Isese: Kwara Police Move To Douse Tension * invite hostile groups for peace meeting  * warn against inciting post on social media *  say though constitution guarantee religious freedom ,respect for culture and tradition of people in  particular community also important,    

By Fatai Ahmed

Kwara State Police Command on Thursday moved to douse the tension created by the plans of  traditional worshippers in the state to celebrate its festival in the Muslim dominated  state capital, a move sternly opposed by the Islamic authority in the Ilorin Emirate.

The state commissioner of police, Ebunoluwarotimi Adelesi, it was gathered, invited the two groups to a meeting where a peaceful agreement was reached.

According to the spokesman of the Command, Ajayi Okasanmi in a statement made available to National Pilot, “In order to douse the tension, the Commissioner of Police, Kwara State, CP Ebunoluwarotimi Adelesi, psc+, FISN, invited the two groups to a meeting where both parties were given the opportunity to air their grievances and a middle-of-the ground agreement was reached.

“Consequently, both parties were advised to maintain the peace while a lasting solution to the crisis was enabled”.

The CP, Okasanmi stated further, advised the people of the state, especially people of diverse religious beliefs, to exercise restraint in expressing grievances whenever they arise.

“This advice becomes necessary in view of recent happenings between some Islamic clerics and some traditional worshippers popularly called ‘Isese’ in the Ilorin metropolis.

“There are lots of inciting videos circulating on different social media platforms from both religious bodies threatening fire and brimstone if one thing or the order was not done, bringing into doubt the belief that Kwara State is a State of harmony”.

“The CP also advised the parties to warn their followers posting inciting videos on social media platforms to desist forthwith, noting that Kwara State is a State of harmony, and as such, all hands must be on deck to ensure that every effort must be made to make the state remain so.

“To this end, teams of policemen have been deployed to extensively patrol the city and arrest anyone found undermining the efforts of the security agencies to secure the state.

“Finally, the command wishes to emphasize that while the right to freedom of religion as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution is sacred, respect for the culture and tradition of the people in a particular community is also important”, the statement concluded.