Faith
Voodoo Accusations Stir Controversy Amid Conflict Between Islamic Leaders
- Adam accused Farooq of using malevolent methods to cause his recent illness during the institution’s 2025 Ramadan Tafseer Programme
- Adam further alleged that Onikijipa had instructed his personal assistant, “Abu Apatira,” to retrieve an unknown item from El-ilory’s pocket and denied rumors that he had suffered a stroke.
- Adam shared that Farooq, a respected Islamic jurist, had previously expressed criticism over the late Sheikh Adam’s omission of Farooq’s father’s name from a list of esteemed clerics in one of his books.
Recent allegations made by Sheikh Muhammed Adam (El-ilory), the leader of the Markaz Centre for Arabic and Islamic Studies in Lagos, against fellow cleric Sheikh Sulaimon Farooq (Onikijipa) have stirred divisions within Muslim communities, Eko Hot Blog reports.
Adam accused Farooq of using malevolent methods to cause his recent illness during the institution’s 2025 Ramadan Tafseer Programme, creating tension and disagreements among community members as they grapple with the fallout of these public disputes between the two influential leaders.
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Tafseer, derived from the Arabic word “fasara,” refers to the exegesis or commentary on the Quran, aiming to provide clarity and context for understanding God’s will.
During this year’s Ramadan Tafseer Programme at the Markaz Centre for Arabic and Islamic Studies, the institution’s leader, Adam, announced his intention to utilize the lectures to address his ongoing feud with Onikijipa
Adam shared that Farooq, a respected Islamic jurist, had previously expressed criticism over the late Sheikh Adam’s omission of Farooq’s father’s name from a list of esteemed clerics in one of his books.
Adam publicly challenged Onikijipa to assume a subordinate role stating that Onikijipa had come to his late father’s institution for learning purposes while Adam was already serving as a lecturer there.
He said, “I had finished an advanced class, gone to Kano State to learn more and returned to Markaz for lecturing after my father insisted that I stay before Sulaimon Farooq resumed Sanawi’yah Idadi (elementary) class. Who am I fighting with?
How can he be saying Sheikh Adam (my father) offended him? The offence is that my father listed all the noble Islamic clerics in one of his books and refused to mention his father.
“Who’s even his father? His father is not the heir of the Onikijipa lineage. The people who reside in the compound of the Onikijipa lineage are the original and worthy ones to be referred as the Onikijipa.
That’s their tradition in Ilorin. One Alfa Alabi Onikijipa is the recognized heir of the Onikijipa lineage. He’s one of the first students of Sheikh Taju Al-Adaby.”
Adam chose to refrain from directly naming his counterpart during the Ramadan Tafseer lecture.
Instead, he adopted an indirect approach to discuss the issues that had led to their ongoing conflict.
He therefore addressed the Kwara-based cleric as “the person” and “he” throughout his narration.
“I am starting a discussion on this to vindicate Imam Fulani, who was framed for my sickness. Although I have been advised not to speak on the matter, I insisted.
The sickness happened to me in 2022. Two months before it happened, I went to Ilorin for a wedding ceremony at Imam Fulani’s house. I wanted to go pay homage to the Kwara governor alongside Imam when he came.
We were at Mudir Makama’s place when he met us, and one of his boys used a handkerchief to rub my neck. He collected the handkerchief from him before the clerics finally collected it from him.
“The second month, I travelled to Belgore’s house for a wedding. I was invited to speak, and honestly, nothing happened to me before I got there.
When I got to the event with some other clerics who followed me from Lagos, he had already gotten there before me.
He was sitting on the right-hand side of the chair that was allotted to me and was pretending to be welcoming me when I appeared.
As we sat, he had already put something in my pocket. Although I didn’t know what it was and we never agreed that he should, because I was putting on ‘Agbada’, I didn’t notice on time.
“When it was time to begin the lecture that I was invited for, I greeted the people present there and I lost it on the spot. My speech became distorted. Thereafter, some clerics came to my aid. So I ordered that the marriage continue while I observed.
Baba Oladimeji Igbaja was noticing me and was praying for my well-being. So one of Belgore’s children conveyed me to a private hospital and was eventually taken to the Ilorin General Hospital. I couldn’t talk neither did I lose my consciousness,” he narrated.
Adam further alleged that Onikijipa had instructed his personal assistant, “Abu Apatira,” to retrieve an unknown item from El-ilory’s pocket and denied rumors that he had suffered a stroke.
The cleric continued, “He told my PA that he should help him retrieve the item he threw in my pocket. When he took the content out, it happened to be two gourds. So the clerics that followed me suggested that he should be given the gourds because he claimed that they were for protection, and he must slaughter an animal to appease it after usage.
“He left with them. He also noticed that I was still conscious despite not being able to speak. He then returned and brought other items that would be used to touch my head. So, my son disagreed with him. He was now telling the cleric that was with me that I was paralysed. Although they questioned his submission.”
The Markaz leader named three Islamic scholars — Dr Olaoti, Alfa Haroon Rosheed and Alhaji Yusuf Hamrah — as those Onikijipa told at the hospital that he was paralysed.
Rebutting the allegations of involvement in El-ilory’s illness, Onikijipa took a solemn oath on the Quran during a public statement in Ilorin on Sunday. He declared his innocence, challenging that if he were indeed culpable, the sacred book’s curses would befall him.
“This is the Quran and we are in the month of Ramadan. We have not broken our fast and we are in the house of God. Since, I began my life, I have not sworn with the holy book but I will do this time.
“God, I’m in your house, if I Sulaimon Farooq, the son of Aminat knows anything about Mudir Markaz’s illness, let the curses in this holy book be mine. I repeat it four times to show my innocence.
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But if I don’t, and they are framing me up across the world, let the curses be upon them,” Onikijipa said.
The mufti, however, did not comment on the superiority claim and the lineage story told by Adam.
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