A Muslim advocacy group, Concerned Muslim Brothers (CMB), has petitioned the Presidency and top Islamic religious leaders over the continued withholding of local government funds in Osun State, alleging deliberate political interference by two federal ministers.
In separate protest letters signed by the group’s State Coordinator, Ustaz Jamiu Akorede Ajenisua, the CMB accused the Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, of orchestrating the delay in releasing constitutionally allocated funds to local government councils in Osun.
Describing the alleged actions as both “anti-people” and “anti-Islam,” the group urged the intervention of prominent Islamic leaders to stop what it termed the “repression and victimisation” of Osun citizens, many of whom, it noted, are practicing Muslims.
The petitions, which were addressed to the Presidency and copied to key Islamic figures and institutions, include the Chief Imam of Ado-Ekiti (Chairman, League of Imams and Alfas, South West), the Chief Imams of Ilorin, Offa, and Osogbo, the Grand Mufti of Ilorin, the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN), and Sheikh Isa Akindele, among others.
According to the CMB, the alleged withholding of funds by the Federal Government began in February 2025, directly impacting local government workers, including primary school teachers, pensioners, traditional rulers, and primary health facilities. The group accused the two ministers of exploiting federal structures to punish the state politically.
“The role being played by Alhaji Oyetola and Hon. Fagbemi with respect to Osun local government funds is against the practice of a believer—one who is conscious of the day he will stand before Almighty Allah to give account,” the group stated in its petition.
The CMB called on the religious leaders to counsel both ministers, urging them to “fear Allah and do what is right.” The group warned that denying people their rightful entitlements, especially in a democracy, amounted to “an act of injustice condemned by Islam.”
“It is Allah who gives power to whom He wills, and He alone takes it away,” the letter read. “Let no one abuse that power by oppressing others.”
While praying for the continued health and influence of Islamic leaders in Nigeria, the group appealed for their immediate intervention, describing such action as a moral and religious obligation in the face of injustice.
As of the time of reporting, there was no official response from the offices of either Minister Fagbemi or Minister Oyetola regarding the allegations.
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