After the death of Pa Ismail, the immediate spiritual leader of a secret cult society in Igboho, the stool has remained vacant. According to the society’s tradition, the leadership role was to be filled by his surviving son, Mr. Rasheed Dimeji. However, Rasheed refused to take up the responsibility and fled to an undisclosed location. All efforts by the cult members to locate and install him as their next leader have proved abortive.
The cult members are enraged by what they perceive as a disrespect to their age-old tradition. Believing that Rasheed’s mother, Muslimat, knows his whereabouts, they have assaulted her in various ways. Her shop was set ablaze, and recently, their vehicle was also burnt down on Monday, August 5, 2024.
In an interview with Muslimat, she shared her ordeal, “My name is Muslimat,” she began, revealing her identity with a calm yet resilient demeanour. When asked who she suspected was behind the arson attacks, she replied without hesitation, “The secret cult society members.”
She explained that the cult members are from Igboho and are targeting her because her son refused to become their next leader. “They vowed that they would do everything possible to bring him home to be installed as their leader,” she said.
Muslimat recounted the events leading up to Rasheed’s refusal. “Before his father died, he told him that in line with the family tradition, he would succeed him as the spiritual leader of a secret cult society in Igboho. He told him this to prepare him ahead of time. Immediately, he refused to be part of any secret cult society based on his own religious ideology. Several times the cult members invited him for meetings, he would not honour the invitations. So eventually, when his father passed on, he left the town when the cult members insisted he must be installed as their leader.”
Despite her efforts to appeal to her son, Rasheed remained resolute in his decision. “I did my best to appeal to him, but he refused,” she said, her voice tinged with a mix of frustration and understanding.
Currently, there is no new leader for the cult. “No, according to them,” Muslimat confirmed when asked about the cult’s leadership status.
Muslimat has reported the case to the police, who are still investigating the matter. “Yes, the police are still investigating the matter,” she said, hoping for justice and a resolution to the turmoil that has upended her life.