Thousands of Islamic faithful stormed the Oja’oba Central Mosque in Ibadan, Oyo State for the Janazah prayers held for Sheikh Baosari Haruna III, the Chief Imam of Ibadanland, who died on Thursday morning. The shout of “Allah Akbar” (God is Great) rented the air as devotees struggled to catch a glimpse of the corpse as it was being brought into the mosque for the prayers. The short prayer on the corpse was led by Sheikh Bello Kewulere, the Chief Imam of Ado Ekiti and Deputy President General of the League of Imams and Alfas at exactly 4.35pm.
The late Islamic scholar was buried at his Agbeni residence in Ibadan at 6.05pm. Earlier, Sheikh Habeebulah Adam-el-Ilory, the Director of Markaz Islamiyya, Agege, Lagos State, had described the deceased as a good ambassador of Islam. Adam-el-Ilory urged other Muslims to emulate the character and life style of the late Islamic cleric. He said: “Everybody will become history by his or her deeds. “The most important thing is to live in a rightful way so that people can say good things about you.”
The Islamic scholar led other scholars to pray for the late Imam and the Muslim community he left behind. In his remarks, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State said he was sad upon receiving the news of the death of the revered cleric. Ajimobi said: “No matter how long you live, when the person you love dies, you feel very sad. “The Imam died at the age of 93 and was the longest serving Chief Imam of Ibadanland. “He served as the Chief Imam of Ibadanland for 20 years. “We will miss him so much and may his soul rest in perfect peace.” The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
reports that dignitaries at the Janazah prayers included Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs. Others present were Prof. Dawud Noibi, the Executive Secretary of the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria, as well as Islamic scholars from Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Oyo, Edo and Delta States. Until his death, Haruna was the President-General of the League of Imams and Alfas in the South West Zone, including Edo and Delta States. He was turbaned as the Chief Imam of Ibadanland in 1995 and died at the age of 93.
Culled from: The Eagle Online