The Ogun State Government has issued a seven-day quit notice to the Ibara Housing Estate Mosque in Abeokuta, sparking outrage among worshippers who described the move as sudden, unfair, and suspicious.
The over 25-year-old mosque, located within the high-brow Ibara GRA, was served the notice immediately after the Zuhr (noon) prayer on Tuesday by an official believed to be from the Ogun State Planning and Development Permit Authority.
In a quit notice dated November 5, 2025, and signed by the Authority’s General Manager, the state asked the mosque community to vacate the premises within seven days, warning that the structure would be demolished and the government would not assume liability for any damage or loss.
The notice read in part, “You are advised to remove all valuables within the specified time. Please note that the Authority will not be liable for any loss suffered by you or claim for compensation whatsoever for any removable property damaged or destroyed during the impending demolition.”
However, investigations by PLATFORM TIMES revealed that the mosque had never been served any previous contravention notice before Tuesday — contradicting the quit order, which cited a prior violation.
In a twist, worshippers said a second letter titled “Notice of Contravention” was also delivered the same day, accusing the mosque of illegally converting the residential structure for public religious use and operating without a valid development permit.
The contravention notice, also signed by the GM, demanded that the mosque present all planning documents within 24 hours or restore the property to its original residential state within seven days.
The official letter stated, “If you fail to remove the said contravention(s) within seven days, the said contravention shall be demolished after the service of notice of demolition.”
Worshippers expressed shock over the move, describing it as an attempt to target the mosque despite its long-standing existence in the estate.
A member of the mosque community, who spoke anonymously, said, “This mosque has been here for more than two decades. Why suddenly issue quit and contravention notices on the same day? Something is not right.”
He added that the management was already consulting legal and community leaders.
The Ibara Housing Estate Mosque has served residents for over 25 years and is one of the community’s oldest worship centres. The sudden enforcement move has triggered speculation among residents about possible political or land-use interests.
Efforts to get comments from state officials were unsuccessful at press time, as they could not be reached.
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