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Lagos Muslim community gets new building, hails donor

By Shakirah Adunola
29 June 2018   |   4:05 am
The propagation of Islam in the Lagos metropolis has received a boost as the Lagos Muslim Community commissioned its ultra-modern building to aid their religious activities.

The Chief Imam of Lagos, Sheikh Sulaimon Abu-Nollah (middle) with Executives of Lagos Central Mosque during the official commissioning of Central Mosque New building in Ikoyi, Lagos recently.

The propagation of Islam in the Lagos metropolis has received a boost as the Lagos Muslim Community commissioned its ultra-modern building to aid their religious activities.

The new property located at 14A Bashorun Street, Ikoyi, Lagos was handed over to Lagos Central Mosque in accordance with the Will of late, Alhaja Munirat Muhammed.

The late philanthropist (Alhaja Munirat Muhammed) had willed the property to the Lagos Central Mosque, but the matter had dragged through the courts until the Supreme Court delivered judgment in favour of the mosque with the solidarity help of the deceased cousin, Bashorun John. K Randle (a Christian).

This once again proved the harmonious relationship between Christians and Muslims, cemented by love and mutual respect, which Lagos Christians and Muslims have shared and cherished for several centuries.

Immediately after taking possession of the property, Lagos Muslim Community rebuilt the ancient building into an ultra-modern structure designed as a public facility to be a source of revenue for the Central Mosque.

During the official commissioning of the building in Lagos, Baba Adini of Lagos, Sheikh Abdul Hafeez Abou, noted that the old structure was handed over to the Jama’at by Alhaja Munirat Mohammed’s cousin-Bashorun J. K Randle according to the wish of the late donor.

He said the old building was demolished and re-built to the glory of God into a modern four flats of three bedrooms each with car park, boys quarters and borehole for the occupiers by the mosque management.

According to Abou, Lagos Central Mosque Internal Generated Revenue financed the new building without any borrowing from any financial institution.

“I give praise and thanks to Allah for granting me the privilege to be part of the actors of this project and also to witness in my lifetime such a prestigious Islamic event as the opening of this significant project in the annals of the Lagos Central Mosque,” he said.

Abou acknowledged the fundamental significance of this project to the Lagos Muslim Ummah. Particularly the Building Project Committee led by Arc. N.A.K. Kekere Ekun, the consortium of engineers and by extension, the Executive Council of the Lagos Central Mosque.

He prayed for the repose of the gentle soul of Alhaja Munirat Muhammed, and for Allah to grant her forgiveness of whatever shortcomings while on earth and preserve all she left behind.

The Donor’s Cousin, Bashorun John Randle in his speech recalled several testimonies on deep love and mutual respect which Lagos Muslims and Christian have shared and cherished for several centuries. “Just as Christian donated generously to the building of mosques, in similar fashion Muslims contributed to the building of churches and cathedrals in cash and kind and mostly land,” he said.

Randle said his family is no exception of the natural extensive friendship and inter-marriages whereby most families in Lagos are almost equally spilt between Christians and Muslims.

He said sanctity of tolerance, integrity, honesty and trustworthiness is embedded in the blood of all genuine Lagosians, noting the bond between Muslims and Christian.

He gave insight into cordial relationship enjoyed by the different faiths. “The Old Lagos Central Mosque was designed by and constructed under the supervision of Engineer George Debayo Agbebi, a Christian and an Italian Catholic Company, G. CAPPA & CO, built the new Central Mosque. And also Most of you are aware of the twin brothers who went to different schools, One at Methodist Boys’ High School Lagos while the other attended Ahmadiyah college Agege. The late Alhaji L.B Agusto was Chief Imam of Lagos and that did not preclude from being the Lawyer to the Catholic Diocese of Lagos under Leo Archbishop Leo Taylor. It was Alhaji Jubril Martins another Muslim who attended St. Gregory’s College that succeeded him.

“For those who insist on concrete evidence, I suggest you visit, 123, Bamgbose Street, in Lagos. They belong to Akerele, McGregor and Da Silva families respectively. All of them are staunch Catholics. There is no record of friction between the catholic and the Muslim Community. On the contrary there is hardly any of the children of those catholic families that was not given a Muslim name in joyful celebration by the adherents of Islam from across the street. Occasionally, it was the Chief Imam who intervened in order to ensure amicable settlement of disputes within each of the Christian family against another. It was and remains a relationship cemented by love, trust and mutual respect,” he detailed.

Randle described the monumental tragedy in the nation as disturbing. “Our nation is confronted with the ugly spectacle of ramping bandits and terrorists who jubilantly and drunkenly boast that rape, kidnapping and armed robbery are the poor man’s nuclear weapon against oppression and injustice”.

He commended, the elders of Lagos Central Mosque for the modest role he played in handling over the property at 14A Bashorun Street, Ikoyi Lagos to the mosque in accordance with the Will of his late aunt, Alhaja Munirat Muhammed. “I should be the one to thank our Muslim brethren for giving me the opportunity to once again celebrate the life, steadfastness, humility, faithfulness and generosity of spirit of the Testator.
“For several years, the matter dragged on through the courts until the Supreme courts delivered judgment in favour of the event we are witnessing today, “he said.

Alhaji Mac foil said this is a special day in the history of Lagos Central Mosque, thou people have been spending on the Central Mosque but we have not experienced a situation where someone Willed a whole property to the Mosque and after her demise such plan was executed.

He noted that so many people don’t want the property to get to the beneficiary but with the help of the deceased faithful cousin, it got to rightful beneficiary.

He commended Bashorun J.K Randle and assured that the property, which as been turned to an investment would yield profit, which would be used judiciously for SRS in the society.

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