Imam Ariyo

KAYODE APONMADE.
Following the death of Alhaji Salawudeen Babalola, the pioneer chief Imam of Aboru community central mosque who died in July 2015, Alhaji Abdur Raheem Yussuf Oriade Ariyo (Ilufemiloye 1) has been turbaned as the new chief Imam.

The elaborate turbaning ceremony was held last Saturday, 14 November, 2015 at Aboru community Eid-praying ground, Aboru in Agbado/Oke-Odo LCDA, Lagos State.

Dignitaries and government functionaries at the ceremony include the CEO of Babs Music & Video Co. and the first son of the late chief Imam, Alhaji Dauda Adewale Babalola famously called Babs; Engineer Dapo Famuyiwa, Augustine Arogundade, executive secretary and former chairman, Agbado/Oke-Odo LCDA respectively, Lagos State governor’s elder brother, Akintunde Ambode, Alhaja Mulikat Toriola and Alhaji Nosirudeen Kamaldeen.

Others are Chief Rasaki Akinde Bangbopa, the Baale of Aboru, Alhaji Rasaq Adewale Onabanjo, Alhaji Raji Ajani Mohammed, chairman, council of Imams, Agbado/Oke-Odo LCDA, Alhaji Biliaminu Banire Alalaye and Alhaja Sherifat Bamidele.

In his inaugural speech, the newly turbaned Chief Imam urged all Jam’ats across various mosques and Muslims in Aboru community to embrace love, peace and unity to foster Islamic doctrine according to Allah’s command.

The chairman of the occasion, Alhaji Babs in his address said Alhaji Ariyo is the most suitable for the turbaning having operated in an acting capacity for about fourteen years or so, hence, the office is a familiar terrain to him. ‘Besides, he is qualified and competent spiritually, religiously… I wish him all the best’. Babs added.

However, the unified turbaning organizing committee chairman, Alhaji M.K Agunbiade, described the ceremony as impressive and expressed gratitude to his committee members, guests, donors and all that contributed in one way or the other to make the ceremony a success.
Alhaji Ariyo hails from Balogun Alusekere compound, Iragbiji town, Boripe local area of Osun State, southwest Nigeria.

For Islamic and Arabic education, he attended Taleem Arabic Institute, Iragbiji, Osun State, Koriat Terleem Islamiyah Waliarabiya, Offa, Kwara State, Roadatul-Derasati Islamiyaty-Wali Arabiyat and Madul-Araiyat Islamiyat- Waliarabiyah, Elekuro, Ibadan, Oyo State, all between 1957 and 1975.

Chief Imam Ariyo was born in third quarter of 1940s, and he is the proprietor of Madarasatu Bab-Salam and co-founder of Jamuyiat Sahadatu-Deen Islamiya, Orile-Agege, Lagos State.