The order comes two months after the Council appealed to Buhari to resolve the ownership tussle over the Obalende Muslim Prayer Ground between the Lagos State Jama’atul Muslimeen (Muslim Community) and security agencies.
At the time, the community’s request came a day before the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, characterised by fasting and other special faith-based activities.
The PUNCH reported that the Obalende prayer ground located at Dodan Barracks, the former seat of the Nigerian Government, has been a subject of dispute between the Lagos state Muslim Community and members of the armed forces.
In late April 2022, shortly after the Eid-el-Fitr celebrations, the Muslim rights advocacy group, the Muslim Rights Concern, urged the Nigerian Army to vacate the Muslim praying ground at Obalende, Lagos.
MURIC’s leader, Prof Ishaq Akintola, claimed that the land, now occupied by military hardware, is the exact spot thousands of Lagos Muslims observe their festival prayers.
It also claimed that the piece of land was initially given to the Lagos Muslim Community by the fourth colonial Governor General of Nigeria, Sir Donald Cameroon (1931 – 1935), through an Indenture on August 9, 1931, “to HOLD the same unto, and to the use of the Grantees forever, free from all encumbrances.”
However, the location remained occupied by the military.
But on Sunday evening, “Buhari directed all those government agencies to ‘recognise and respect the fact that the Obalende Eid Prayer Ground legally belongs to the Jama’atul Muslimeen Council of the Lagos Central Mosque,’” a statement signed by the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, read.
The statement is titled President Buhari orders Dodan Barracks authorities to surrender Obalende Eid Prayer Ground to Lagos Muslim community.’
In giving approval to the report of a Special Committee he set up to investigate and report to him the issues in conflict between the Lagos Muslim Community on one hand and Federal Government Agencies, particularly those stationed at the Dodan Barracks concerning the management and control of the land, President Buhari directed that the “desecration of the Obalende Eid Prayer Ground by its profane use as a dump site should stop with immediate effect” and to this effect, the Dodan Barracks authorities should remove all containers and debris from the prayer ground.
While meeting a delegation of the community at the State House on March 22, 2023, Buhari said “You will get justice as far as this is concerned. I commend you for adopting a peaceful approach to seeking justice, without heating up the polity.”
The President also directed that the Dodan Barracks authorities “ensure that the Muslim Communities and their agents have unrestricted access to the Obalende Eid Prayer Ground at all times.”
He advised the Government of Lagos State to, “if deemed fit, (to) grant the Jama’atal Muslimeen Council a Certificate of Occupancy over the area identified in the Survey Plan.”
The Committee that carried out the assignment as directed by the President under the leadership of Professor Ibrahim Gambari, the Chief of Staff included the Minister of Works and Housing, the Minister of Defence, the Director-General of the DSS and the Chief of Defence Staff and the Permanent Secretary, State House.
