Community Grammar School, Amuloko, off Akanran Road in the Ona Ara Local Government Area of Ibadan, Oyo State was thrown into confusion and became a Mecca of sorts yesterday following the mysterious inscription of the name of Allah on the bark of a tree in the premises of the school.
Many inhabitants of Amuloko rushed to the school to see the mysterious inscription. The inscription was first noticed around 1 pm on Friday by a JSS1 student, Abdulsalam Selimot, who drew the attention of many people from the community and beyond, prompting some people to turn the tree into an object of worship and made supplications near it.
The Quranic lettering, which an Agriculture teacher in the school, Mr Atanda Abdulrauf Olayiwola, interpreted to mean “Mohammadu Ra Sululah” first appeared faintly before it got bolder few hours later to the surprise of many people in the area.
Speaking with newsmen at her mother’s rented apartment at Oloya area of Amuloko, Selimot said, “My dad said he was coming to see me and so I stood under the tree in front of our school. Suddenly, a leaf fell on my head and when I picked it, I saw certain writing on it. I looked up to see where it came from and discovered it fell from the tree. There and then I saw an Arabic lettering appearing, being written on the tree.
“I could not read it well but I noticed that it was a Quranic language similar to the spellings we were being taught at our Quranic centre. I then went to inform some alfas who came for GNLD training close by. They saw it and asked for my name. They asked me to go and call my parents, and I went to call my mother,” she said.
She said that the alfas then started rubbing their palms on the part of the tree and shouting the name of Allah with praise, just as many other people gathered and did the same.
The news brought many more people to the area as they were seen with their mobile handsets taking pictures of the inscription, while many made video recording of it. Both old and young were seen plucking the leaves of the tree, cutting its branches, while some were rubbing their palms on it. Some were even rubbing sachets of pure water on the bark of the tree, in the belief that it would turn holy water for them to drink.
From GBENGA ADESUYI, Ibadan
