Hoodlums who disguised as worshippers on Thursday disrupted the Eid el-kabir prayers in Ilorin, Kwara State and attacked Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, with stones and sachet water.
In a swift reaction, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed described the attack as barbaric.
The situation prevented the Chief Imam from delivering his annual sermon just as the Emir of Ilorin also abandoned his Sallah message.
Some of the worshippers said they were only able to offer one of the two mandatory prayer rakats.
Security operatives, who accompanied the Senate President to the praying ground, had to throw tear gas and fire several shots, which sent worshippers running helter-skelter for safety while one of emir’s horsemen was injured in the melee.
The Public Relations Officer of the Kwara Police Command, Mr Ajayi Okasanmi, who spoke with newsmen immediately after the prayer, confirmed the attack on the Senate president.
He said the action was sparked by some miscreants who were looking for Sallah gift from the Senate President.
According to him, those behind the attack would be identified by Monday as arrests have been made in connection with the attack.
Okasanmi said the situation was promptly brought under control and the prayer resumed.
He said that a total of 2, 000 policemen and women were deployed across the state to keep law and order during the Eid prayers.
To Ahmed, the incident “is absurd, barbaric and unislamic”.
The governor made the condemnation in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Abdulwahab Oba.
Ahmed said government was aware of plans by some aggrieved politicians in collaboration with some local government employees and teachers to protest the non payment of arrears of salaries owed them.
“As a result of this, government quickly went out of its way to negotiate and secure bank loans to offset the arrears pending the time when the Federal Government bailout fund will be released,” he said.
The governor said he directed that funds should be released for the salaries, adding that civil servants received their salary alerts on Wednesday.
Ahmed, however, wondered why some miscreants should take the laws into their hands and disrupt the prayer since majority of state and local government workers, including primary school teachers, had received their salaries.
He said others would get their salaries on Monday as Thursday and Friday were public holidays.
Ahmed, who urged politicians not to promote violence in the state, charged the police to bring to justice those already apprehended.
He also implored residents to mark the festival peacefully and with prayers for the quick resolution of the challenges facing the national economy.
Also, Dr Muideen Akorede, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor on Media and Communication, said the attack was not targeted at Saraki and Ahmed.
Akorede, who corroborated the PPRO’s view, said the attack was carried out by miscreants who wanted to extort money from Saraki.
“Gov Ahmed was not even at the Eid praying ground; he was at his home in Share where he prayed; so the attack could not be targetted at him,” Akorede added.
Also, a source close to the Senate President, said the attack was not targetted at him.
According to the aide who pleaded anonymity, the worshippers were said to have been angry over unpaid salaries.
