Muslim Rights Concern lashes out at Afenifere for comparing Igboho to Prophet Mohammed

ISLAMIC group Muslim Rights Concern (Muric) has lashed out at Yoruba pan-cultural organisation Afenifere for pointing to similarities between the flights of Prophet Mohamed to Medina and that of Sunday Adeyemo to Benin Republic.

On July 1, Mr Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, fled after his Ibadan home was raided by security forces who killed two of his aides and arrested a further 13. Mr Igboho subsequently turned up in Benin Republic but was arrested at Cotonou airport while he was trying to board a plane to Germany.

Over the last two days, Mr Igboho has appeared in court as the Beninoise authorities have charged him with immigration offences, including entering the country illegally. Backing Mr Igboho to the hilt, Afenifere said he had no choice but to flee, just as Prophet Mohammed fled from Mecca to Medina when he started his ministry.

However, Muric director Professor Ishaq Akintola, attacked Afenifere, saying that the statement was not only sacrilegious but outrageous and audacious. Professor Akintola said: “Yoruba socio-cultural group Afenifere, has compared Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Igboho, to Prophet Muhammad. This is totally unacceptable.

“It is not only sacrilegious but outrageous and audacious. Afenifere has manifested categorical desertification of discernability coupled with an alarming height of tramadolised hero-worshipping. It is provocative, preposterous, repugnant and nauseating,” the organisation said.

“The circumstances surrounding the migration of Prophet Muhammad in 622 CE to Madinah differ a lot from those that sent Igboho to Benin Republic in July 2021. Muhammad was invited to Madinah by the Madinese whereas Igboho was not invited by the people of Cotonou.

"Muhammad was a prophet of God, Igboho is not. Muhammad’s constituency is the whole world while Igboho’s activities are restricted to southwestern Nigeria."

He added that it was an exercise in excessive exaggeration for Afenifere to have compared Igboho to a universal prophet whose followers in their billions spread across all the continents and countries of the world. According to Professor Akintola, Afenifere’s action is geared towards diminishing the immense popularity of Prophet Muhammad and whittling down the influence of Islam on the world as a whole and trivialising the essence of the Abrahamic faiths.

“Afenifere did not stop at comparing Igboho to Muhammad. It also compared him to Moses, who was a prophet of God for crying out loud. But is Igboho a prophet? What does Afenifere want to turn Igboho to? Another prophet?

Afenifere’s goal is to exert influence on Igboho and to gain total control of him. Afenifere should leave Igboho alone. It should stop playing politics with the young man’s life,” Professor Akintola added.