PRESS RELEASE

KnowIslam Project Welcomes Iru Ẹkún’s Commitment to Religious Inclusion and Peace

Ibadan, Nigeria — 28 September 2026

Muslims Will Support Every Genuine Effort for the Security and Peace of the South-West

The KnowIslam Project welcomes the recent engagement between the leadership of the Iru Ẹkún Security Network, led by Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, and Muslim leaders in the South-West.

The meeting, held on 27 September 2026, included respected Muslim figures such as Mallam Yusuf Adepoju, Sheikh Ajiginni, Barr. US Imam, Mr. Saidi Shittu, and others. During the engagement, Chief Sunday Igboho reportedly addressed concerns raised by members of the Muslim community regarding the perceived relationship between Iru Ẹkún and recent controversies involving the Isese activist popularly known as Tani Olohun.

We consider the engagement an important opportunity for clarification, dialogue and the preservation of peaceful coexistence.

The concerns expressed by some Muslims did not arise from opposition to community-based security efforts or from hostility towards any ethnic or cultural group. Rather, they were connected to the perception that the intervention of Iru Ẹkún members in the controversy surrounding Tani Olohun could suggest an alignment between the security network and particular religious or traditional interests.

Such concerns deserve to be heard, particularly in a society as religiously diverse as ours, where trust between communities is essential to maintaining peace.

During the meeting, Chief Sunday Igboho disassociated Iru Ẹkún from the religious controversies surrounding Tani Olohun and reaffirmed that the organisation is intended to serve as a security initiative rather than an instrument of religious, ethnic or cultural advancement. He also emphasised the importance of inclusiveness and assured the Muslim community that no religious group would be excluded or discriminated against.

The KnowIslam Project takes these assurances in good faith.

We also recognise that Iru Ẹkún has publicly presented itself as a community security initiative established to complement efforts against kidnapping, banditry and other criminal activities in the South-West. In previous public statements, its leadership has described security as a collective responsibility that should transcend political, ethnic and religious differences.

Muslims Seek Security, Not Conflict

Muslims are peace-loving people and have no interest in seeing insecurity, religious suspicion or communal division take root in the South-West.

Our position is simple: any individual, organisation or initiative genuinely committed to protecting lives, property and the peace of our communities deserves cooperation, provided it operates within the law and respects the rights, dignity and religious freedom of all citizens.

The Muslim community has no reason to oppose a security initiative merely because its leadership or members come from a particular ethnic or cultural background. Indeed, Muslims have not opposed other community-security structures simply on account of their cultural identity.

The concern, therefore, has never been about the existence of community security initiatives. It has been about trust, neutrality, inclusiveness and the protection of religious harmony.

We believe these principles should apply equally to every security structure operating within our communities.

Words Must Be Matched by Conduct

At the same time, KnowIslam Project believes that assurances are most meaningful when they are consistently demonstrated through conduct.

We therefore encourage the leadership and members of Iru Ẹkún to ensure that the organisation remains strictly focused on security and community protection, without becoming an instrument for religious, cultural or political confrontation.

We equally urge all Muslims, traditional worshippers, Christians and people of other convictions to exercise restraint and avoid inflammatory rhetoric capable of turning legitimate differences into communal hostility.

Where disagreements arise, lawful institutions, dialogue and due process should be allowed to take their course.

Security must never become a vehicle for settling religious or personal disputes.

A Message of Goodwill

The KnowIslam Project therefore welcomes the clarification offered by Chief Sunday Igboho and hopes that his assurances will mark the beginning of a stronger relationship between Iru Ẹkún and the Muslim community across the South-West.

We pray that Iru Ẹkún succeeds in its legitimate objective of contributing to the safety of our communities, and that its members will carry out their responsibilities with professionalism, fairness and respect for every citizen, regardless of religion, ethnicity or cultural affiliation.

We equally pray that Chief Sunday Igboho remains faithful to the commitments made during his engagement with Muslim leaders and that those commitments will be reflected consistently in the conduct of the organisation.

The South-West has a long history of Muslims, Christians and traditional worshippers living, working and trading together. That heritage of coexistence must be protected.

We do not need religious confrontation to achieve security. We need cooperation, justice, mutual respect and a shared commitment to protecting human life.

KnowIslam Project remains committed to promoting peaceful coexistence, protecting the dignity of Muslims, correcting misconceptions about Islam, and supporting constructive dialogue between communities.

We will support every genuine effort that advances peace, justice and security for all, while continuing to speak whenever the faith, dignity or legitimate rights of Muslims are threatened.

May Allah grant our communities peace, protect our people from banditry, kidnapping and every form of criminality, and guide all those entrusted with the responsibility of protecting lives and property.

Signed,

Bashir Lucas Samson Lukman
KnowIslam Project

[www.knowislam.com.ng]