“Not for the Mosque”: Ilaro Chief Imam Reveals the Real Purpose of Ogogo’s ₦25m

Sheikh Muhammad Tajudeen Mustapha Adewunmi, the Chief Imam of Ilaro, has returned N25 million entrusted to him by the late actor Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, to the actor’s family — a gesture of integrity that has drawn widespread commendation and refocused attention on the Islamic principle of amanah (trust).

The Trust Baba Imam Kept

On a visit to Lagos, when Ogogo was already visibly weakened by the illness that would ultimately claim his life, he entrusted N25 million to the Chief Imam of his hometown, Ilaro.

The money was not meant for a mosque, as speculation had it. It was meant for the reconstruction of his grandfather’s house, a project that spoke to the actor’s deep attachment to his roots.

BBC News Yoruba sat with the Chief Imam this week, and in the course of that interview, he laid to rest the theories that had trailed the money left in his care.

A Friendship Rooted in Proximity

The Chief Imam, Sheikh Muhammad Tajudeen Mustapha Adewunmi, began with something many may not have known: his family house and Ogogo’s are just four houses apart in Ilaro.

They have, in his words, always known each other, not as actor and cleric, not as public figure and religious leader, but as sons of the same streets, watching each other grow into the men both families now mourn and celebrate in different ways.

The Final Visits

The Imam said he visited Ogogo twice in Lagos, first at LASUTH, and later at St Nicholas Hospital.

On one of those visits, Ogogo wanted to eat, and so Sheikh Muhammad Tajudeen held the food while he ate. And when he began to pray for Ogogo’s wellbeing, Ogogo simply joined his hands together with the palms open facing the sky the way Muslims do when supplicating to Allah. He didn’t talk.

The Imam said Ogogo was clearly emaciated by then, that the sickness had visibly taken its toll, but that Ogogo believed, and kept believing, that he was going to be fine, that they should keep praying for him.

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According to Sheikh Muhammad Tajudeen Mustapha Adewunmi, It was after that second visit that Ogogo called him, informing the Imam that he would soon be travelling abroad for treatment, and that he wanted him to keep N25 million in trust with the Imam until his return.

The money, Ogogo said, was meant for the reconstruction of his grandfather’s house.

The Written Testament

Sheikh Muhammad Tajudeen said that when the money entered his account, he did not sit on it quietly. He called one of his sons, narrated everything that had transpired, and asked the son to put it in writing.

He signed it.

He explained why: only Allah knows who will survive whom between him and Ogogo, and he might, for all anyone knew, have died before Ogogo did.

The written testament, he said, existed for one reason only: to ensure the money reached its rightful owner if he was the one to die first.

The Return

And as fate would have it, Ogogo did not survive the illness.

After his death, the Imam held a meeting with Ogogo’s wives, his children, and the wider family. There, he narrated exactly what had transpired between him and Ogogo, and asked the family what they wished to do with the money.

It was at that meeting they agreed the N25 million should be sent to Ogogo’s older surviving brother, Alhaji Rilwan Taiwo’s bank account.

On the morning of the 31st of August, 2026 which the Fidau prayer held, the Imam and Ogogo’s younger brother who doubles as his assistant, Ayinde, went to the bank together, and the transfer was made to Ogogo’s elder brother’s bank account.

A Legacy of Integrity

The Chief Imam’s integrity in returning the money has drawn widespread commendation.

Actor Saidi Balogun described him as “an exemplary Muslim” and noted that this was not an isolated incident.

The cleric had previously served as Amir Hajj for Ogun State, leading Muslim pilgrims to Mecca, and he returned unspent funds to the state government rather than keeping them.

“When some have traded their heaven for wealth, Ilaro Chief Imam has traded his earthly comfort for paradise,” Balogun wrote.

“Let’s check our own individual minds. This is a true Ambassador of Islam. Let’s celebrate him”.

The Imam later clarified that the money was never meant for any mosque project.

He said:

“The ₦25 million sent by Alhaji Ogogo was meant for rebuilding his own grandfather’s house rather than a mosque project, and the funds have since been returned to the Ogogo family”.

A Reflection on Amanah

The story of Ogogo’s N25 million is not merely a financial transaction. It is a lesson in amanah, the Islamic principle of trust and faithfulness in keeping the property of others.

The Prophet Muhammad said:

“The signs of a hypocrite are three: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is entrusted, he betrays the trust.”

By this measure, the Chief Imam of Ilaro has demonstrated the opposite. He did not need to be watched. He did not need a court order. He needed only the knowledge that he had been trusted by a dying man, and that Allah was watching.

A Lesson for Nigeria

The story of the N25 million is a reminder that integrity is not a function of religion but of individual character.

The same religion that can be invoked to justify violence can also be invoked to justify honesty, compassion and trust.

The difference lies not in the faith itself, but in the understanding and practice of the individual.

The same cleric who can be accused by some of being part of a religion that fosters extremism has just demonstrated that the faith he represents is one of trust, honesty and accountability.

The generalisations that are often made about Muslims; that they are terrorists, that they are fanatics are rendered meaningless by the actions of individuals like Sheikh Muhammad Tajudeen Mustapha Adewunmi.

The Chief Imam of Ilaro has shown that a man can be trusted with N25 million, with no legal document, no witness, no court order, only the bond of trust between two neighbours and still do the right thing.

That is not a lesson about Islam. It is a lesson about humanity.