By Akeem Adeyemi
The Chief Imam of Oyo, Dr Sheikh Mashood Abdul Ganiyy Adebayo Ajokidero III, died at age 76, having ruled for 19 years.
The personal secretary to the late chief Imam, Ogunbado Muheenudeen Akintude, confirmed to our correspondent through a phone conversation that the Islamic scholar died late hours of Wednesday after little illness.
Akintude made it known that Muslim burial rites (prayer) would be performed for him at Oyo Central Mosque at 2 pm today (Thursday).
Akintude noted that the Islamic cleric left 2 wives and 6 children behind and described him as “a great Mufasir, Imam, teacher, father and grandfather”.
Meanwhile, it’s been 10 months since Oyo town lost its paramount ruler, the late Oba Lamidi Adeyemi iii, the Alaafin of Oyo.
Recall that, it was the Chief Imam, Ajokidero that led the Muslim burial rites for the late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, less than a year ago, (April 23, 2022).
According to the Personal Secretary to the late chief Imam, Ogunbado Muheenudeen Akintude;
“The late Chief Imam of Oyo, Dr Sheikh Mashood Abdul Ganiyy Adebayo Ajokidero III, was born in 1947 to imam Ajokidero’s dynasty in Oyo town.
He attended AUD primary school, oke-balogun oyo. He started his Islamic education at imam Ajokidero’s Islamic centre in Oyo.
He proceeded to Markaz Agege for further Islamic studies. After he graduated from Agege, he worked as an Arabic teacher in Aba elesin nursery and primary school, Iwo-road Ibadan, Oyo state capital.
Having worked for a few years, the Islamic scholar proceeded to Islamic University in Cairo, Egypt.
He started working as a presenter and translator (Arabic to Yoruba) at Radio Cairo Egypt after obtaining a BA in Arabic at Cairo University Cairo.
He was the chairman of Oyo indigen at Cairo throughout his stay in Egypt.
It was in Radio Cairo that late M.K.O Abiola saw him and persuaded him with the help of Sheik Adam Al’ilory to come back to Nigeria and Abiola hired him to teach as a lecturer at Zulikha Abiola College of Arabic and Islamic Study, Abeokuta.
During that time he was also a visiting lecturer at Federal College of Education (Special), department of Arabic studies, Oyo.
He was there till he was called to come and occupy the vacuum of chief imam of Oyo in 2004.
