Yoruba Leader Raises Alarm Over New Boko Haram-Linked Islamic Group in South West
The Grand Mufti of Yorubaland has raised strong concerns over the emergence of a new Islamic body in the South West.
He warned that the group could open the door to extremist influences similar to Boko Haram and Maitatsine.
Sheikh Abdulrasaz Abdulazeez Ishola said the newly launched League of Imams and Alfas does not represent the true Islamic leadership of the Yoruba region.
He described it as an imitation of the long-standing and recognized body of Muslim clerics in the South West.
According to him, the group was inaugurated between February 11 and 12, 2026, in Iwo, and later expanded its reach to Edo and Delta states.
He faulted the move, saying Edo and Delta do not belong to the traditional South West structure of Yoruba Muslim leadership.
Ishola explained that the authentic League of Imams and Alfas has existed since the early 1960s and is made up of respected Chief Imams across Yoruba land. He said the new body was formed by only a few individuals without the consent of established religious authorities.
He accused the founders of pushing a hidden agenda and trying to draw closer to northern Muslim organizations in a way that could create division. He insisted that the legitimate league has always maintained peaceful cooperation with Islamic bodies in other regions.
“The authentic league isn’t fighting the North,” he said, while recalling past engagements with northern Muslim institutions.
The cleric noted that regional Islamic groups have existed for decades without causing conflict. He cited Jama’atu Nasril Islam as an example of a northern-based body that operates without tension with southern groups.
Ishola stressed that true Yoruba Muslims would not support any movement capable of provoking religious crisis in the region.
He warned that the formation of rival structures could destabilize long-standing harmony among Muslims in the South West.
On the issue of Ramadan, he defended the position of the authentic league in using astronomical calculations to determine the fasting period. He said the method is scientifically reliable and suitable for modern times.
The league has announced February 18, 2026, as the first day of Ramadan this year. Ishola stated that any claim of moon sighting on February 17 would be incorrect and misleading.
He added that such disputes only weaken unity among Muslims and confuse worshippers who depend on clear guidance from their leaders.
