Lagos — The Islamic community and traditional religionists of Offa are at daggers-drawn over the location of the Moremi shrine.

Unlike others in its category which are wont to be concealed in the deep recesses of the bush, the Moremi shrine sits rather proudly on a major T-junction in Offa, Kwara State. Clustered around the dome- shaped, concrete shrine are traders of the popular Ojude Oba market going about their business. Some even hung their wares especially polythene bags on the wall of the shrine. Advertisers of Top Tea also found a free space with their suspended Top Tea labels adorning the shrine's wall. Nothing unusual or suspicious distinguishes the shrine from other buildings except, perhaps, its 'design.' Spherical in shape, it is completed by shiny iron sheets which slope down to about five feet above ground level. In the middle of that is another compartment of ironsheets which shoot heavenward like an inverted funnel. The shrine has a wooden door with etched design of a crown, a bird and two fighting men. To the left and right of the door are designs of odd- looking birds.

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