Worshippers fault Lagos mosque closure over Ramadan sermon crisis

Worshippers at the Lagos Central Mosque on Nnamdi Azikiwe Street, Lagos Island, have decried the forceful closure of the mosque by some individuals.

The closure reportedly stems from a dispute over the conduct of the annual Ramadan lecture.

PUNCH Metro gathered on Thursday that the dispute centres around who should be responsible for organising the mosque’s Ramadan lecture series.

While some members of the congregation believe this responsibility lies with the chief imam, others argue that it should be managed by the mosque’s administrative head.

The controversy prompted the Federal High Court in Lagos to intervene earlier in February, ordering all parties to maintain the status quo and avoid actions that could escalate tensions or disrupt public order.

However, worshippers expressed shock when the chief imam, accompanied by unidentified persons, allegedly sealed the mosque, effectively halting regular prayers.

A worshipper and chairman of the mosque’s board of mission, Rafiu Ebiti, in an interview with PUNCH Metro on Thursday, criticised the move, questioning the legality of the closure.

He said, “If it was a court order, it must specify what is to be done. There’s what is called an enrolment. Is the chief imam taking laws into his own hands? We don’t want a breakdown of law; that is why we are not confronting him.”

Ebiti further alleged that the chief imam was acting with the backing of influential individuals.

“When you bring a policeman to the mosque, you are sending a dangerous signal.

“Everything he is doing is illegal. A court order must be enrolled. The judge never said the mosque should be shut down. The court only said the chief imam should hold the Tafsir as the spiritual head and that all parties should maintain the status quo.

“But now, people can’t access the mosque for daily prayers. He only opens it for Jumah on Fridays, and even then, many can’t enter. This will not solve any problem.”

Also speaking, the General Secretary of the mosque, Lookman Seriki, insisted that the court order did not authorise the dissolution of the mosque’s executive council.

“We are contesting the order in court. It did not extend to the executives,” he said.

Recounting how the mosque was locked, he said, “The imam gave notice on Monday and locked it up on Tuesday. A police officer and two bouncers came and locked the offices.”

He added, “Let them go back to court if they believe the order is genuine. Don’t take laws into your own hands. We are avoiding confrontation for the sake of peace.”

Phone calls and messages sent to the chief imam were not returned as of press time.

Meanwhile, a copy of the court order obtained by PUNCH Metro confirmed that Justice Lewis-Allagoa, in suit number FHC/L/CS/265/2025, directed the chief imam, as the spiritual leader, to oversee the mosque’s affairs until the case is resolved.

The judge stated, “Since there is no contention as to who is the spiritual leader, but there appears to be contention about who is the administrative leader, consequently, I hereby direct that the 5th defendant (the chief Imam) should conduct the affairs of the mosque pending the determination of this suit.”

They called on relevant stakeholders to intervene urgently before the dispute escalates into a full-blown conflict among worshippers.