Muslim worshipers in five Local Government Areas of Kwara State on Friday complied with the government order on closure of worship places and restriction of movement.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the faithful deserted their various mosques where they normally observe the two raka’at supererogatory Juma’at prayer as they obeyed the order passed down by the Ilorin Emirate Council.
The Emir of llorin and Chairman of Kwara State Traditional Council, Alhaji lbrahim Sulu-Gambari, had on Tuesday ordered the indefinite suspension of Friday Juma’at prayers in all parts of the emirate in compliance government policy.
The policy was introduced to prevent the spread of Coronavirus Disease to the state.
A NAN correspondent who monitored the situation in Ilorin metropolis reports that all the mosques that normally recorded large turnout of worshipers were empty.
Also affected were Juma’at mosques in various schools and tertiary institutions in all parts of llorin Emirate and beyond.
All the Muslim faithful remained indoors where they observed the four raka’at Zuhur prayer, which replaced the Friday Juma’at congregational prayer.
Uztaz Nurudeen Oganija, a teacher and Islamic scholar, told NAN that the Juma’at service did not take place in any part of the Emirate.
The Chief lmam of llorin, Alhaji Abdullahi AbdulHameed, who spoke in similar vein, confirmed that Juma’at service did not hold in any part of llorin Emirate.
AbdulHameed said all Muslims in the emirate complied with the directive of the Emir of llorin, whom he said had consulted the high ranking Islamic clerics in the emirate.
“The directive of the Emir was in order, which aimed at avoiding crowd to protect our lives, and we all complied to save us from destruction and calamity,” the Chief Imam said.
NAN.
COVlD-19: Ilorin Muslim worshipers comply with restriction order
