Date: 2012-04-18

"We know nothing about the demolition of the fence of the disputed land and we are also reiterating our earlier position that there can never be any justice, fair play and or good conscience in handing over a land forcefully acquired from a Muslim family for overriding public interest to a church." - Ajegunle Muslim Community in Sango

The Ajegunle Muslim Community in Sango, Ilorin, Kwara State,  has denied that its members destroyed  the property of the Living Faith Church in Sango,  attacked workers on the site and stole their belongings.

It alleged that some of its members had been arrested, harassed and intimidated as a result of the church's claim.

This was contained in a statement jointly signed by the community's elders – Abdullahi Mogaji, Sheikh A.A. Al-Ameen and Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Imam – and made available to journalists in Ilorin on Tuesday.

  The group urged the state government to as a matter of urgency return the land to the former owners in the interest of peace, justice and fair play.

The community alleged that the church and the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria had misrepresented the facts of the matter.

The church's Provincial Pastor, Chris Osiberu, had on March 24 during a media conference alleged that members of the Muslim community destroyed the fence, shopping complex and some building materials at the church's new site at Ajegunle, Kulende area by Old Jebba Road, Sango.

However, the Muslim group stated that they had been co-habiting peacefully with people of different faiths and various ethnic backgrounds continuously for more than 60 years, adding that it was also playing host to about 18 churches without any problem.

The community stated, "We know nothing about the demolition of the fence of the disputed land and we are also reiterating our earlier position that there can never be any justice, fair play and or good conscience in handing over a land forcefully acquired from a Muslim family for overriding public interest to a church.

"The government must therefore use the land for the purpose for which it was initially acquired or let it revert to its original owners.

"Because there is no where the Land Use Act, the law instrument, that states that land that was acquired by the government should be allocated for building a church, has been defined as overriding public interest."

The group also alleged that the disputed land is situated directly opposite a central mosque which had been in existence for over four and half decades.

It stated that when they realised that a church was going to be built opposite the central mosque, the Muslim community lodged a complaint against that.

"Our elders were arrested and severally interrogated by different security agencies and their houses searched for daring to complain against siting a church directly in front of the mosque that has been in existence for over 45 years," the group said.