Alfa Apalara

Apalara was born in Itoko, a town in the outskirts of Abeokuta, he had Quranic studies and elementary education before he went to Lagos to work as a carpenter.

In 1951, he started having conflicts with the local cults and masquerades in Mushin, during one of his open air sermons, a cult and its masquerade on their way to perform traditional rites attempted to pass through one of his crusades however they were blocked by Apalara's congregation at the insistence of Apalara.

In January, 1953, Apalara was invited to come and preach in Oko Baba, a neighborhood in Ebute Metta and a stronghold of cultists.

On January 3, 1953 during his sermon in Oko Baba, Apalara was abducted by a group of cultists, the policeman and most of his congregation ran away.

In October, 1953, a jury delivered a verdict of death by hanging to 11 people who were found culpable in the murder.