In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

(Lagos, Friday, 11/07/2025) The Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC), Nigeria, expresses deep concern over the disturbing reports surrounding the disruption of a lawful mosque construction project at Ede High School, Osun State. This interference, allegedly carried out through the influence of the Seventh Day Adventist Church and Dr. Deji Adeleke, constitutes an unjustified encroachment on the religious rights of Muslim students and a violation of due process.

It is both troubling and instructive that a project which had received formal approval from the Osun State Ministry of Education – via a letter dated 11th June 2025 (Ref: P.PRY/390T/58) – would be forcibly halted, not by any government authority, but by private individuals and interest groups with no administrative jurisdiction over public school infrastructure.

This incident is not merely about a building. It is about what we are becoming as a society. It is about whether rule of law will be respected when it does not serve private interests. It is about whether the faith identity of Muslim students in public institutions can be dignified in the same manner others expect for themselves.

Ede is a community whose demographic reality is overwhelmingly Muslim. Yet, despite this, Muslim students continue to face obstacles in expressing their faith – even in matters as basic as the right to communal worship. The attempt to halt the construction of a mosque – initiated by the school, backed by the community, and lawfully approved – is emblematic of a deeper problem: the weaponisation of influence against the rights of a vulnerable group.

MPAC is gravely concerned that religious privilege, emboldened by access to power, is being used to undermine lawful Muslim presence in shared civic spaces. That such action is being taken under the guise of concern for public interest, when in fact it violates the very principles that preserve our shared future – equality, equity, and mutual respect – is profoundly regrettable.

We therefore call on:

Governor Ademola Adeleke to safeguard the constitutional rights of all Osun citizens by ensuring that the mosque construction resumes without hindrance.

The Osun State Ministry of Education to uphold its own approval and prevent arbitrary reversals of lawful action.

The Inspector General of Police and relevant authorities to investigate any attempt at harassment or intimidation of those involved.

Faith leaders, civic voices, and public intellectuals to recognise that this moment demands more than silence; it demands moral clarity and courage.

Let it be noted that MPAC will always advocate for peaceful engagement, civic dialogue, and lawful redress. But we must also be clear: peace is not the absence of noise; it is the presence of justice.

We urge the Ede Muslim Council, school authorities, and the wider Muslim community to remain calm, focused, and unwavering in the pursuit of lawful rights. The call for justice is not a favour – it is a duty owed by the state and demanded by our Constitution.

Let the mosque be built, not only with bricks and mortar, but with the courage of a society that is mature enough to uphold justice even when it is inconvenient.

-End-

Disu Kamor
Executive Chairman
Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC), Nigeria
kamor.disu@mpac-ng.org
‎www.mpac-ng.org