Grand Mukadam of Ilorin, Sheikh Sulaiman Dan Bornu, has expressed concern over the increase in rape cases, especially of children, and urged the government to urgently wade in to check it.

"We urge the government to help check this ugly situation. Our women are being raped everyday. Minors are being defiled. We should not fold our arms and allow the trend to continue", he said.

The Islamic scholar was delivering a lecture at the eight day prayer (Fidau) for the retired Supreme Court judge, Justice Saidu Kawu, who died in Ilorin on Wednesday last week at the age of 85. Dan Bornu also advised politicians and political leaders to have the masses at heart in their struggle for power. He also lamented that politicians financially induced clerics, noting that whereas the clerics are expected to control the politicians by guiding them aright, the reverse is the case as clerics have lost grip of politicians and can no longer call them to order when going astray.

Also speaking, an Ibadan-based Islamic scholar, Alhaji Abubakar Akoeyede and Chief Imam of University of Ilorin, Professor Abdulganiyu Oladosu who eulogized the deceased said his demise reminds us of the inevitability of death.

According to Oladosu, the late jurist was a pious and righteous person, an emblem of integrity, a symbol of honesty, who was large-hearted with flexible minds and positive and generous disposition. The scholar admonished the believers to prepare for death by being pious, righteous and God-conscious. Late Justice Kawu was the pioneer Chief Judge of Kwara State and first Ilorin indigene to become the Chief Registrar of High Court in the old Northern region. The Fidau which was led by Chief Imam of Ilorin, Alhaji Mohammed Bashir Imam Solihu, was attended by many personalities and eminent members of the bar and bench.