The Imam Ayilara family of Ogbomosoland has frowned at the deprecating insults consistently hurled at the Soun of Ogbomoso and Muslim organizations in the town by the Ogbomoso Chief Imam, Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina.
The family spokesperson, Prince Hassan Kareem Ayilara, at a news conference in Ibadan on Sunday described Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina’s action as a pathetic act of desperation and a diversionary attempt to cover his fraud.
Prince Hassan Kareem Ayilara reiterated that Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina has been sent away from the Imam Ayilara family quarters of Ogbomoso long time ago since when the family detected that he was an imposter and not original son of Ayilara family of Ogbomoso.
He noted that the Chief Imam has brought disrepute to the Imam Ayilara family, to the prestigious throne of Ogbomnosoland and to the image of the entire Muslim Community of Ogbomosoland.
“We dissociate ourselves from his effrontery. We can never be part of that as we hold the Soun of Ogbomosoland in high esteem, whose dynasty made our forefathers Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland.
“It’s brazenness on his part to have sued the Soun and the Soun-in-Council to court that they had no power to remove him even though they installed him.
“Ayilara family is not in support of alleged threat calls to Soun of Ogbomosoland and the Chiefs by the Chief Personal Assistants of Alfa Teliat Yunus as reported on 7th November, 2023, in some online news platforms.
“Also, we condemn the attacks and molestations by hoodlums of individuals and family houses on 28th December, 2022; 3rd September, 2023; 25th October, 2023; 26th October, 2023; and 6th February, 2024 in which various properties were destroyed and people seriously injured.
“There is no person known as Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina in the Imam Ayilara family of Ogbomoso, he is an imposter and has been using the social media to blackmail the Soun of Ogbomsoland simply because Kabiyesi is a Christian, this is not a religious issue at all, it is purely a family affair, “he said.
Prince Hassan Kareem Ayilara added that genuine Imam Ayilara descendants vehemently protested from the outset before the screening when the name of Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina was put forward by some powerful forces to rob the family.
“We lodged our protest at the Ogbomoso Palace but these powerful interests blocked our protest.
“Since we are convinced that Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina is not from the Ayilara family, we persisted in vigorous protest. We took the matter to the Soun-in-Council and we equally expressed our grievances to the Body of the League of Imams and Alfas in Ogbomosoland.
“The Soun-in-Council instituted a panel which carried out a thorough investigation. The panel discovered that Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina has no blood affinity with Imam Ayilara family, whether male or female Iine, As a result, he was advised in writing to step aside from the Imamship of Ogbomosoland. That was on November 10, 2022.
“On the heels of that, the Body of League of Imams and Alfas of Ogbomosoland also probed the allegation by inviting all the members of the lmam Ayilara family to present the history of the family. Only Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina shunned the panel.
“The family meeting re-assessed his claim and undertook another careful verification against the background of his claims in some forums in the past that he belonged to four different lineages at various times.
“He is not from the real Abass Ayilara family and the three others he claims to belong to have no blood affinity with us. So, we again found his claims false and we unanimously decided that Alfa Teliat Yunus Olusina has no genealogical relationship with Imam Ayilara family. And so, we issued a disclaimer letter, “he said.
It would be recalled that there were unsettled issues over the nomination of the right person to occupy the position of Grand Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland from Imam Ayilara family after the demise of last Grand Chief Imam, Sheikh Sanusi Ashifa.
The members of Imam Ayilara family present at the press conference include Alhaji Ibrahim Abdulwahab Ayilara(Baale), Alhaji Yekini Asafa(Mogaji Ayilara), Alhaji Ganiyu Atanda Owodunni(Aare), Alhaji Surajudeen Alimi(Pakoyi of Ogbomoso), Alhaji Bello AbdulRasak(Balogun Ogbomoso), Prince Hassan Kareem Ayilara(Family spokesperson), Alhaji AbdulYekeen Adetunji and other notable family members.
