The Enugu State Police Command has reportedly barred the Chief Imam of Owerri Road Central Mosque, Imam Murtala Dahiru, and some other Muslim leaders from attending Jumat prayers at the mosque.
The restriction followed a dispute involving Alhaji Yusuf Sambo, the factional Seriki Hausawa of Enugu State and Special Assistant to Governor Peter Mbah on Special Duties.
The Council of Ulamas and Imams in Enugu State accused Sambo of using his government position to influence the police over the leadership of the mosque.
According to the council, the dispute began after Sambo allegedly petitioned the police, claiming that he had removed Imam Dahiru as the Chief Imam.
The council, however, maintained that Sambo lacked the authority to remove the cleric, arguing that Dahiru was appointed by the Council of Ulamas and Imams and could only be removed by the same body.
The council further alleged that some of its members were arrested on September 30, 2026, shortly after leaving the Department of State Services office in Enugu.
The Muslim leaders had reportedly gone to submit a petition concerning the dispute to the Commissioner of Police, with a copy addressed to the DSS Director. They said the DSS declined to receive the petition and directed them to the police.
According to the council, the clerics were arrested by police officers as they left the DSS premises and taken to the State Intelligence Bureau section of the Enugu State Police Headquarters.
At the police headquarters, the council members said they were shown Sambo’s petition and explained that the disagreement was a civil and religious matter.
They alleged that the police subsequently made them sign an undertaking not to attend Jumat prayers at Owerri Road Central Mosque, and that other Muslim worshippers were also barred from attending until Sambo installed another Chief Imam.
In a petition dated October 1, 2026, to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network, acting on behalf of the Council of Ulamas and Imams, challenged the legality of the police action.
The petition, signed by CRRAN President, Olu Omotayo, described the restriction as unconstitutional, arguing that the police could not prevent citizens from attending religious services without a valid court order.
The organisation also condemned the arrest and detention of the Muslim leaders and called on the Commissioner of Police to immediately lift the restriction ahead of the Jumat service scheduled for October 2.
The petition stressed that freedom of religion is guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution and urged authorities to allow the affected Muslims to observe their religious obligations without interference.
The council also questioned Sambo’s authority to remove the Chief Imam, noting that he was not a member of the Council of Ulamas and Imams.
It further asked whether Sambo could independently petition for Imam Dahiru’s arrest and detention at the State Criminal Investigation Department over the leadership dispute.
The petition urged the NSA to intervene urgently, warning that failure to resolve the matter could escalate the disagreement and threaten public order in the state.
