The Chairman of ATISBO Local Government Area of Oyo State, Alhaji Bashir Olumuyiwa Alade, has expressed deep sorrow over the death of the Chief Imam of Ago-Are Community, Sheikh Alh. Ahmad Rufai Idera II, who died on Friday after a brief illness.
In a condolence message personally signed by him, the chairman described the late Islamic scholar as “a beloved leader, a man of unshakeable faith, and a true servant of the people whose life was spent promoting peace, unity, and the fear of God.”
According to family sources, the cleric will be buried on Saturday at 9:00am in accordance with Islamic rites.
Alade said the death of Sheikh Idera II has created a painful vacuum not only in Ago-Are but across the entire Oke-Ogun Muslim community and Oyo state.
“Baba was loved by all. His gentle nature, his wise counsel, and his constant prayers for the progress of our community will be greatly missed. He was a father to many, a guide to the young, and a spiritual pillar for the entire Ago-Are town,” the chairman said.
He added that the Chief Imam’s decades of service to Islam, community development, and peaceful coexistence remain exemplary legacies that will continue to inspire future generations.
The Atisbo council boss also commiserated with the Muslim community in Ago-Are, the Oke-Ogun Muslim Ummah, and the Council of Imams and Alfas in Oke-Ogun, urging them to take solace in the impactful life the late Imam lived.
“On behalf of the government and people of Atisbo Local Government, I extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of our father, the late Chief Imam, to the Muslim community of Ago-Are, and to the entire body of Islamic scholars in Oke-Ogun. May Allah comfort everyone touched by this loss and give us the strength to bear it,” he said.
Alade prayed that Almighty Allah forgives the shortcomings of the departed cleric and grants him Al-Jannatul Firdaus.
The chairman assured that the local government would continue to support religious leaders and uphold the values of unity and peaceful coexistence that Sheikh Idera II championed throughout his lifetime.
