The Sultan of Sokoto and Head of Jama’atul Nasril Islam (JNI), Sa’ad Abubakar III, has ordered that the Eid-el-Fitr congregational prayers be suspended in the outskirts of towns and cities across the country.
The highly-revered monarch, who is also the President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), said this in a statement on Thursday by the JNI Secretary-General, Khalid Aliyu.
He urged Muslims to observe the Eid-el-Fitr prayer at home alone or with family members.
The traditional ruler urged state governments allowing religious gathering to ensure that worshippers observe the strictest measures of distancing, face masks, and the use of hand sanitiser at the praying ground.
According to the Sultan, the authorities should consider using neighbourhood mosques if it becomes necessary to observe the prayer in an open space.
“Nigerian Muslims are, therefore, called upon to reflect their minds to the good virtues of the month of Ramadan and keep to its teachings all through their respective lives, as the Lord of Ramadan, is still and shall remain The Lord of other months, and above all keeps the records of our actions and inactions,” he said in the statement.
“More so, Muslims are reminded to keep to the ordinances of the Glorious Qur’an, for the prestige of the Muslim Ummah.”
