COURT ORDERS CHIEF IMAM TO TAKE CHARGE OF RAMADAN LECTURE IN MOSQUE CRISIS CASE

Since there is no dispute as to the issue of the spiritual head of the Mosque, the spiritual head of the Lagos Central Mosque is to take care of the organization of the Ramadan Lecture.”

The suit was filed by the Registered Trustees of Jamat-ul-Muslimeen Council of Nigeria of Nigeria, Alhaji Femi Okunnu and Alhaji Saheed Lawal.

Other parties in the suit are Alhaji Sikiru Macfoy, Alhaji A. Mustapha, Mufassir Imam Gafar, Dr. Muiz Banire, SAN, Sheik Sulaimon Abu-Nolla and the Attorney-General of Lagos State.

According to the motion on notice, the plaintiffs through their counsel, Dr Kemi Pinhero, SAN, are asking for an order of interlocutory injunction, pending the determination of the Motion on Notice filed herein, restraining the 1st defendant whether by himself, privies, proxies, cronies, agents, servants, or such other persons, howsoever, described, from further acting, continuing to act as and/or carry out the functions of the Baba Adinni of the Lagos Central Mosque and/or managing or further managing the affairs of the Lagos Central Mosque and/or exercising, any power(s) connected incidental or ancillary to duties, powers and functions of the Baba Adinni of the Lagos Central Masque.

When the matter was called for hearing, Mr. Bisi Oyesanya, SAN, representing the first and second defendants told Justice Alagoa that he had filed a notice objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter.

Oyesanya added that the position of the law was that once the jurisdiction of the court was challenged in a matter, the court ought to take the objection challenging the jurisdiction at first before going into the main matter.

However, plaintiff’s counsel, Dr. Pinhero, and Dr. Muiz Banire, SAN, who represented himself as the fourth defendant, objected to that line of arguement insisting that that was the old law.