As a Magistrate Court in Ilorin, has ordered for the imprisonment of social media influencer and traditionalist, Tani Olohun, on Thursday, until October 5, 2023, journalist and social activist, Omoyele Sowore, has advocated for the Facebook blogger’s release.
Adegbola Abdulazeez, better known as Tani Olohun (Who is God), was arrested and remanded in jail on August 16 in Ibadan and taken to a police station in Ilorin, Kwara State, for insulting the Emir of Ilorin, among other offences. The activist had been charged to court, while calling for support from other Isese practitioners.
A YouTube video released on Thursday, showed Tani Olohun discussing the outcome of a prior meeting between Isese practitioners, their lawyer and the police on the ban placed on Isese festivals in Ilorin.
Sowore had posted on his official Facebbok timeline that;
“I have just 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. 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…”
The Isese people had warned that the proposed August 20th Isese day would hold despite alleged threats by the Islamic clerics in Ilorin. According to Tani Olohun in one of his Facebook posts before his arrest, “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.
Meanwhile, a source close to Tani Olohun confirmed his arrest while assuring his supporters that with the intervention of ‘eminent people’ like Sowore and others, the popular Isese advocate will regain his freedom soon.
“They have been trying to arrest him for a long time so his arrest did not come as a surprise to us.
“He cannot be killed because he did not kill anyone. He will be free. He did not rape anyone; he was only sharing his thoughts on the situation of things. Arresting Talolorun does not mean the world will end. We are fighting for our ancestors. We are fighting for our culture and tradition not to go into extinction. The economy of Nigeria has continued to dwindle yet none of you is fighting to save the country but when it comes to Isese worship, everyone suddenly has a voice.”
However, an Ilorin based lawyer had shed more light on the reason behind Tani Olohun’s arrest. According to the lawyer, “This issue does not have relation to Isese. The reason he was arrested is that he defamed the character of respected Alfas and he has always been inciting the public to go against Ilorin based on the atrocity he committed when he burned the Quran. If these things are not handled properly, it could lead to religious crisis.”