Mallam Yusuf Adepoju, the President, Academy of Islamic propagation, ACADIP, has withdrawn a petition written to the police authority against one blogger, Adeoye Abefe, popularly called 'Awikonko Akanda Oro' over the latter's defamatory allegations against the cleric.

Adepoju, a foremost comparative lecturer, in a short message obtained by HorizonTimes, said he has forgiven Awikonko following retractions of his uncomplementary allegations, offer of apology and signed undertaking.

Awikonko had, in series of broadcasts on his Facebook timeline, Awikonko TV live, and YouTube Channel, accussed Adepoju of stage-managing his comparative lectures.

While calling Adepoju unprintable names including being a lunatic and an imbecile, Awikonko, alleged Adepoju of inducing participants at his lectures, with cash, to stage-manage conversion to Islam.

But in series of retractions and apologies, Awikonko, confessed that all allegations against Adepoju were lies, adding that Adepoju wrote the petition against him to protect his name and image.

He said in one of the broadcasts, "On the alleged stage-managing of conversion of Christians to Islam, after I started listening to (Adepoju's) preaching, I discovered that he's just preaching the gospel of Islamic religion in the best way he knows how to preach it.

"The preaching is not stage-managed. And on the allegation of inducement of the convertees with cash, at the end, I discovered that it wasn't correct. Everything I said in that audio is not true."

In another retraction, the blogger said, "Some people think there's dispute between me and Mallam Yusuf Adepoju, I swear by my Creator, there's no dispute between us. Mallam has never offended me because he's just protecting his name and image, it is his fundamental human right.

"Everything I said is not correct, I was the one who said it before and I am saying they are not correct. I hereby wish to retract the following allegations that I made against him (Adepoju), but unfortunately, they are not true.

"1. That Mallam Yusuf Adepoju is a deceiver, a great liar and unfortunate being, a lunatic and an imbecile. Mallam Yusuf Adepoju is never a deceiver, never a liar and he's never an unfortunate being. He's not a lunatic. Those are very heavy words, I retract them, that it wasn't so.

"2. That Acadip did not hold any public lecture at Modakeke on November 17 and 18, 2017. I retract it, that it wasn't so.

"3. That Mallam Yusuf Adepoju used to stage-manage conversion of non Muslims to Islam, and that the number of convertees is exaggerated. Now, I am retracting it that he never stage-managed anything. Whatever conversion that occurred was real.

"4. That, If Mallam Adepoju refused to stop his public preachings, he would be stoned to death. No, that will never happen because Mallam Yusuf Adepoju is a preacher, I retract that sentence too.

"5. That Mallam Yusuf Adepoju be arrested over TaniOlohun's cases.

"In addition to my retraction relayed on social media, I am not under duress at all, not at all, retracting all the above mentioned allegations made against Mallam Yusuf Adepoju. All these allegations are false and they are deeply, honestly, and totally regretted.

"When I met Mallam Yusuf Adepoju, I saw him as a man with a pure hearth. He refused to look at my face because he had a mind of forgiveness, but some things needed to be put in place.

"Mallam, I equally tender my unreserved apologies in respect of my inadvertent utterances that are tantamount to casting injurious aspersions and I pledge that such uncomplementary occurrences will never repeat itself. Never never."

In his response, Adepoju said he has forgiven the blogger and withdrawn the petition written against him.

Adepoju said, "Awíkonko Akanda Ọrọ had made series of videos on his Facebook Page and YouTube Channel, retracting all his defamatory utterances and false allegations against Mallam Yusuf Adepoju and ACADIP Nigeria.

"In addition to his Retraction and Apology being relayed on social media, a Letter of Retraction and Apology, duly signed by Awíkonko, retracting all his defamatory allegations with an undertaking that such uncomplementary occurrence will never repeat itself, had been written to us and was published on 15th December, 2023 in NIGERIAN TRIBUNE at page 12.

"Awíkonko Àkàndá Ọ̀rọ̀ had also removed those defamatory videos/posts from his Facebook Page and YouTube Channel.

"In view of the foregoing and in the interest of peace, I, Yusuf Adepoju, on behalf of ACADIP Legal Team, inform the public, that, our petition against Mr Adeoye Abefe (aka Awíkonko) is hereby withdrawn, having retracted all his defamatory allegations against me and ACADIP Nigeria, and having met up with other conditions for settlement. Mr Awíkonko is hereby totally forgiven. May Allah forgive us all. (Amin)."