The Agege Local Government stormed the area on Thursday and sealed the mosque and fumigated it.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had banned gathering of more than 20 persons in one of the preventive measures to curtail the spread of the deadly disease. The order was given to curb the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Agege Central Mosque, Agege area of Lagos where about 300 worshippers attacked officials of the Taskforce on COVID-19, has been shutdown and fumigated.

Lagos State Government on Thursday sealed off a mosque for violating the government’s order on religious gathering.

Worshippers at the Agege Central Mosque (Hausa Community), popularly called Moshalashi Alhaja, located at Balogun Street, on Tuesday flouted the order during the night prayer (Ishai) and worshipped in hundreds.

Attempts by officials of the Lagos State COVID-19 Task Force, who arrived on the scene to enforce compliance, were rebuffed.

A drama ensued when some of the Muslim youths saw the team and attacked them. About 300 others in the mosque rushed out, chanting Allahu Akbar and joined them in the attack by pelting the vehicles with stones.

A side mirror of one of the vehicles was broken.

Agege Local Government Chairman Alhaji Ganiyu Egunjobi, who was informed of the incident by the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Islamic Matters, Alhaji Abdullahi Jebe, led the council officials to seal off the mosque after fumigating the place.

He said the shutdown became necessary to prevent a recurrence, adding that it would act as a deterrent to others.

“We cannot continue to condone an act capable of spreading this dreadful disease. Even Saudi Arabia has placed restrictions on the number of people who must worship at the two holy mosques, Haram and Nabawi and banned congregational prayers in other mosques across the country. Honestly speaking, we cannot be more Catholic than the Pope.

“We have had engagement with the leadership of the mosque, including the Sarkin Hausawa, Alhaji Musa Muhammed and our resolution is that the mosque should be shut down till further notice,” Egunjobi said.

The Agege Local Government stormed the area on Thursday and sealed the mosque and fumigated it.

Director General, Lagos State Safety Commission, Lanre Mojola, said the local government did not only seal-up the mosque, it also fumigated the place of worship.
According to him, the attack on government officials was an ugly scenario which would have been worse if the taskforce members had not tactically withdrawn to avoid an open confrontation in the community.
“It is a simple instruction from the government to curb the spread of coronavirus and avoid unnecessary death, but what we saw that day was flouting of the rule on social distancing by the worshippers and attempt to caution them and let them know the implication resulted in attack with the headlamp of one of our vehicles destroyed by the worshippers,” Mojola said.
According to Majola, the taskforce was surprised about the attitude of the worshippers because the government had earlier before the lockdown held meeting with all religious leaders and that they all supported the government’s action.
He also disclosed that the taskforce has also before now sealed-up a number of churches and mosques across the state that flouted the directive, appealing for compliance from members of the public.