The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, alongside the Etsu Nupe, Yahaya Abubakar have commissioned a central mosque in the Odo Noforija Kingdom of Epe, Lagos State. The mosque was jointly built by the traditional ruler of Odo Noforija kingdom, Dr Babatunde Ola Ogunlaja, and the Chief Executive Officer of Al-Hujaaj International Umrah and Hajj Services Limited, Alhaji Abdul Jelili Animashaun. The mosque features a striking minaret, dome adorned with Arabic inscriptions, a spacious prayer hall with separate sections for male and female worshippers.
It is designed to accommodate large congregations during Jumu’ah prayers and other Islamic gatherings. Hamzat commended those who sponsored the mosque project, especially the traditional ruler, Dr Babatunde Ola Ogunlaja, a Christian, and Alhaji Abdul Jelili Animashaun, a Muslim philanthropist, describing their collaboration as a demonstration of religious harmony. Former Governor of Lagos State and former Minister of Works, Babatunde Raji Fashola, described the mosque as a powerful symbol of interfaith harmony.
He said, “We have not just come to dedicate a mosque, we have come to send a message of harmony of faith.” Etsu Nupe and Chairman of the Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, Dr Yahaya Abubakar, praised the Mosque project as a symbol of the long history of peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians in Odo Noforija Kingdom. Imam of the National Mosque, Abuja, Professor Luqman Zakariyah, delivered the inaugural Khutbah titled “Masjid, Its Maintenance and Sustainability,” where he stressed the importance of maintaining mosques spiritually, structurally and administratively. Oba Babatunde Olaogun Ogunlaja described the commissioning of the mosque as a moment of divine fulfilment and a symbol of unity, resilience and spiritual progress.