Imam sacked for cancelling Jumat prayer in Zaria

Chairman, Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’a Wa’iqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS), Zaria Local Government, Sheikh Sani Yakubu, has sacked an Imam, Malam Abubakar Sarki-Aminu for his compliance with Kaduna State Government order prohibiting congregational prayers.

Abubakar had been the “Imam ratib” meaning the Imam for five daily prayers at Sheik Abubakar Mahmood Gumi Juma’at Mosque, Kofar Gayan Low-cost, Zaria for almost 40 years.

Kaduna State Government had on Friday, March 20, issued an order banning all sorts of gatherings including church and mosque prayers involving more than 50 people across the state to curb coronavirus spread.

The JIBWIS Chairman confirmed the sack on Friday but declined further comment on the issue.

He, however, directed that the Committee Chairman for five daily prayers of the Mosque, Alhaji Shehu Dan-Maikuli to speak on his behalf.

When contacted, Dan-Maikuli said there were many problems associated with whom he described as the sacked Imam, adding that such problems would only be summarised.

“When Sheik Usman Baban-Tune was alive he had to come in and settle some issues between the sacked Imam and the Mosque committee. the resolution, it was agreed that the Imam should be organising monthly committee meeting to discuss problems and prospects of the Mosque but after that resolution we spent over four years without single meeting.

“When this issue of coronavirus came, one day the Imam just stand up after leading Zuhur prayer and announced that as from today he suspend congregational prayers until the issue is over, by then I was not in the Mosque.

“When I came for Asr prayer only to be told that the Imam ordered for closure of the Mosque, I called him on phone to enquire and he said yes he had ordered that the Mosque be closed,” he said.

Dan-Maikuli said that the Imam neither consulted him being the Chairman of the Committee nor other members of the committee, saying that it was a personal decision of the Imam.

He said that they reported the case to the Chairman, JIBWIS, Zaria Local Government who promised to visit the Mosque on Thursday to personally remove the Imam.

“Incidentally, the Chairman came on Wednesday and led Isha (night) prayer and thereafter announced the sack of Malam Abubakar Aminu and replaced him with Malam Ahmad Tijjani as the new Imam,” he said.