The descendants of the popular Sheikh Uthman Ayilara in Ogbomoso, have disowned the Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland, Teliat Olushina Ayilara, following his ongoing imbroglio with the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye.
The family in a world press conference described the Chief Imam as an impostor, who has been using the social media to allegedly blackmail the Soun of Ogbomoso and the Soun-in-council.
Speaking on behalf of the family, on Sunday, in Ibadan, Prince Hassan Ayilara said the family is not in support of the Chief Imam’s threat calls to Soun of Ogbomosoland.
“The Ayilara family is not in support of threat calls to Soun of Ogbomosoland and the Chiefs by the Chief Personal Assistants of Alfa Teliat Yunus as reported on 7th November, 2023, in Ogbomoso Insight news paper. Also, we condemn the attacks and molestations by hoodlums of individuals and family house on 28th December, 2022; 3rd September, 2023; 25th October, 2023; 26th October, 2023; and 6th February, 2024 in which various properties were destroyed and people seriously injured.”
“Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina has been sent away from the Imam Ayilara family quarters of Ogbomoso long time ago since we detected that he is an imposter and not original son of Ayilara family of Ogbomoso”, he said.
Speaking further, he said Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina is not known in the Imam Ayilara family of Ogbomoso, adding that “he is an imposter and has been using the social media to blackmail the Soun of Ogbomosoland simply because he is a Christian, this is not a religious issue at all, it is purely a family affair to which we have now approached the court to give justice to this claim of an imposter. He has brought disrepute to the Imam Ayilara family, to the prestigious throne of Ogbomosoland and to the image of the entire Muslim Community of Ogbomosoland.”
According to him, there are six recognised Chief Imam families in Ogbomosoland which are Bango, Alawiye, Abogunde, Aduinin, Ile Imam and Ayilara.
He said Ayilara’s family is not in support of threat calls to Soun of Ogbomosoland and the Chiefs by the Chief Personal Assistant to Alfa Teliat Olushina as reported in an online news platform.
“We the entire Imam Ayilara’s family of Ogbomoso do not know Alfa Teliat Yunus Olushina in our family neither is he from Ogbomosoland.”
While reacting to how Teliat Olushina Ayilara became the Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland, Prince Ayilara stated the Imam is not a descendant of their progenitor, Sheikh Uthman Ayilara.
He said Teliat Olushina became the Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland, through manipulations, backed by some powerful interests in Ogbomosoland.
Efforts to reach Imam Olushina for a reaction proved abortive as calls out to his phone did not go through.