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Sokoto cleric gets knocks for holding Eid prayer Sunday

Published

2 years ago

May 2, 2022

Sheikh Musa Lukwa

Islamic scholars and the Muslim Rights Concern have knocked an Islamic cleric in Sokoto, Sheikh Musa Lukwa, for again defying the directive of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, on moon sighting and leading his followers in Eid prayers on Sunday.

The Sultan had announced on Saturday that there was no report on the Shawwal moon sighting received from anywhere in the country by the moon sighting committee, hence the Eid-el-Fitri will hold on Monday.

But Lukwa, in his sermon on Sunday, said they have confirmed the sighting of new crescent in many places in Nigeria and neighbouring countries, adding that the new moon was sighted in many places within Sokoto State.

According to him, the moon was sighted at Fakku and Wauru in Kebbe and Gada local government areas of Sokoto respectively.

Reacting, the Chairman, MURIC Sokoto chapter, Muhammad Aliyu, in a chat with The PUNCH, said Lukwa was wrong to have defied the Sultan’s directive.

He said, “Under Sharia Law, we Muslims are expected to follow our leaders. The argument of the Sheikh is that the Sultan is more of a ceremonial leader without power. He’s saying we cannot follow him the same way Muslims used to follow Sultans in the past. Before the coming of the Europeans, Sultans had powers and supreme authority over everybody but now they are more of ceremonial leaders. That’s Sheikh’s argument but he’s very wrong because the Sultan remains the religious leader of Muslims as agreed by the majority of Islamic scholars.”

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On Sheikh Lukwa’s claim of sighting the moon, the MURIC chairman doubted him, saying naked eyes cannot make the sighting.

An Islamic scholar from Niger State, Ustaadh ‘Umar Paiko, faulted the Sheikh while quoting a portion of the Hadith to show why an individual Muslim cannot go against the directive of the Sultan.

He said, “It’s not unusual. I know a lot about Sheikh Lukwa, he disagrees with the Sultan a lot. We (majority of Islamic scholars and students) have disagreements with him concerning the way we understand the Hadith.

“There’s a portion of the Hadith which says the first day of fast is the day that everybody is fasting and the last day is the day everybody has stopped fasting, that is the Eid. The understanding of majority of scholars is that this is a reference to a leader because the unity can only be achieved on the directive of a leader.

“So, if your leader has not yet announced the sighting of the crescent moon, then it’s not the day for the beginning of the fast or its ending. So, an individual cannot go against this.”

On his part, Ustaadh Ajijolakewu from Ilorin said the Sheikh should be sanctioned so that he can learn how to relate with a ruler.

He said, “The truth is that he has disobeyed the established authority. The Prophet said the day that all Muslims break their fast is the day agreed by their ruler. So, even if you have seen the crescent moon by yourself, you cannot break your fast.

“So, what the Sheikh did was wrong according to Islam. He has to be sanctioned for some period so he can learn the basics of relating with a ruler, especially a constituted authority concerning the affairs of Muslims. My sincere advice to such a person is to desist from such act because it can cause disunity among Muslims.”

Lukwa had told journalists that a lecturer at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto confirmed that the new moon was sighted on the main campus of the university.

All efforts to speak with the representative of the Sultan, Waziri Sokoto, who is also the Chairman Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs, Sultanate Council, Prof Sambo Junaidu, were not successful as his telephone number was not reachable as of the time of sending this report. However, a palace source who preferred anonymity says the Sultanate council stands by the statement issued on Saturday on the result of moon sighting.

PUNCH

Related Topics:Eid prayer Featured Sokoto cleric

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NDLEA declares couple wanted, houses sealed after cocaine seizure

Published

9 hours ago

May 19, 2024

Trends Admin

Kazeem Omogoriola Owoalade and Rashidat Ayinke Owoalade

NDLEA declares couple wanted, houses sealed after cocaine seizure

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) has arrested four members of a drug cartel who runs a cocaine cartel from India in Lagos with a Sports Utility vehicle and two houses belonging to the syndicate, already traced to them sealed for forfeiture to the Federal Government.

This is just as a couple, Kazeem Omogoriola Owoalade (alias Abdul Qassim Adisa Balogun) and Rashidat Ayinke Owoalade (alias Bolarinwa Rashidat Ayinke), also members of the cartel have been declared wanted by NDLEA in connection with cocaine trade.

Spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi who made this known, said “Two other members of the syndicate, Imran Taofeek Olalekan and Ishola Isiaka Olalekan were arrested on April 3, 2024 following their bid to export 3.40kg cocaine on a Qatar Airlines flight going to Oman through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos.

“While Imran was the courier conveying the drug consignment to Oman, Ishola recruited him for the head of the cartel, which investigation has now revealed to be Alhaji Kazeem Omogoriola Owoalade whose Indian residence permit bears Abdul Qassim Adisa Balogun based in India.

“Efforts to dismantle his network in Nigeria paid off after five weeks of surveillance and follow up operations when another member of the syndicate, Hamed Abimbola Saheed who works directly with the baron was arrested on Tuesday 14th May at Abule Egba area of Lagos.

“It was indeed Saheed who lodged Imran in a hotel a day before his aborted trip to Oman and equally dropped him and Ishola at the Lagos airport the day they were arrested.

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“During a search of Hamed house, NDLEA operatives recovered some phenacetine, a cutting agent for Cocaine, weighing 900 grams.

“He confessed that the recovered substance was what was left of the consignment Imran was taking to Oman the day he was arrested.

“His arrest led to a follow up operation at the home of the Owoalade couple at 20 Eyiaro street, Ogudu Orioke, Lagos where another suspect was arrested and a new model Toyota RAV4 SUV marked FKJ-773 JJ belonging to Rashidat and additional 400 grams of Cocaine recovered in addition to already prepared suitcases to be used for illicit drug concealment, digital weighing scales and other paraphernalia”.

In the same vein, NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigations, DOGI, attached to a courier firm in Lagos on Wednesday 15th May intercepted two parcels, containing Cocaine and Amphetamine concealed in steel bolts and shea butter.

While the cocaine weighing 587 grams, was concealed in eight steel bolt screws going to China, the Amphetamine consignment packed in vape pens and hidden in shea butter was going to the United Kingdom.

Attempts by Emeka Nwadiaro (aka Mega) to export 3.6kg Loud, a strain of cannabis concealed in 36 water flasks to Dubai, UAE was also thwarted at a logistic company in Port Harcourt, Rivers state on Thursday 16th May while a swift follow up operation led to the arrest of the owner of the consignment, Emeka Nwadiaro in Onitsha, Anambra state same day.

While NDLEA operatives in Lagos intercepted a mercedes benz bus loaded with 840kg cannabis and arrested the driver, Samuel Henry, at Olojo in Ojo LGA, Lagos, another suspect, Lawal Adam was nabbed along Otukpo road, Aliade, Benue state on Friday 17th May with 75,000 pills of opioids including tramadol and exol-5.

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Two suspects: Olisa Etisi, 32, and Jonathan Umeh, 25, were arrested along Owerri – Onitsha road, Imo state following the discovery by NDLEA operatives of a big gas cyclinder used to conceal six blocks of Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 3.85kg.

In Borno state, 70-year-old Adamu Mohammed was arrested at Mbulamel, Biu LGA on Thursday 16th May with 2kg cannabis and 33.55grams of diazepam, while Gaddafi Sani, 27, was arrested with 30 kilograms of cannabis along Abuja-Kaduna road, Kaduna.

In Yobe state, a consignment of 91.1kg opioids and 13kg cannabis going to Maiduguri, Borno state, was recovered from hidden compartments of a petrol tanker along Potiskum-Damaturu road by NDLEA officers who arrested the driver, Ismaila Ali.

No less than four suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure of 2,025 pieces of improvised explosive devices (IED) materials intercepted in a Toyota hummer bus marked AGL 905 XX by NDLEA officers along Agaie – Lapai road, Niger state.

The duo of Abdulrauf Shitu Adeyemi, 46, and Asmiyu Rahim, 45, conyeying the IED materials were arrested on the spot. Follow up operations led to the arrest of Husaini Abdullahi, 25, at Sokoto main market, Sokoto and Nazifi Abdullahi, 37, at Naibawa Motor Park, Kano on Friday 17th May.

The Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has directed that all four suspects and the explosive materials be transferred to the appropriate security agency for further investigation.

In another operation, Muhammad Lawal, 42, was nabbed at Central Market Motor Park, Katsina State with 1,000 Ampoules of Pentazocine injection.

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Also, a total of 105kg cannabis was on Friday 17th May recovered from a house at Obola community, Owan West LGA, Edo state and a suspect, Gloria Oris arrested when NDLEA officers raided the area.

In Kwara state, two suspects: Abdulganiyu Karaman, 55, and Sunday Abel, 37, were on Saturday 18th May arrested with 83kg cannabis and tramadol at Boriya, Baruten LGA, and Offa respectively.

With the same vigour, the various commands of the Agency across the country continued with the War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, advocacy campaign in the past week.

Some of them include: WADA sensitisation lecture for students and teachers of Government Girls Science secondary school, Malumfashi and Government Girls Science Secondary School, Daudawa, Katsina; Government Girls Science College, Tunga Magajiya Rijau LGA, Niger state.

Others are students and teachers of St. Theresa’s College Oke-Ado, Ibadan, Oyo state; students of Government Girls Secondary School, Tudun Wada, Kano; students of Dein secondary school, Imobi secondary school and St. Columbas Grammar School, Agbor, Delta State.

While commending the officers and men of the MMIA, Rivers, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Yobe, Borno, Niger, Benue, Kwara, Imo, and Edo Commands of the Agency as well as those of DOGI for their outstanding feats in the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) said the efforts have further affirmed the cardinal role of NDLEA in the security architecture of the country.

He equally applauded their counterparts in all the commands across the country for intensifying their WADA advocacy lectures to create a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction activities.

NDLEA declares couple wanted, houses sealed after cocaine seizure

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Mother, 2 kids, motorbike rider crushed to death in Osun

Published

10 hours ago

May 19, 2024

Trends Admin

Osun accident

Mother, 2 kids, motorbike rider crushed to death in Osun

A devastating road accident occurred on Saturday around Obada Market in Ode-Omu town, Ayedaade Local Government Area of Osun State.

According to eyewitnesses, a private car with the registration number BDG 481 JD, traveling from Ibadan towards Osogbo, collided with a motorcycle carrying a mother, two children, and a toddler who were returning to Ogi village after attending a church vigil.

The accident resulted in the death of the mother, two children, and the motorcycle rider. The toddler, however, survived the accident.

In the aftermath of the accident, enraged residents of Ode-Omu descended on the occupants of the private car.

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The driver of the vehicle managed to flee the scene, leaving two passengers inside the car.

An eyewitness simply identified as Monsurat, described the incident as “brutal and unfortunate,” adding that the driver might not have seen the motorcycle, leading to the tragic collision.

She said the mob dragged out the two remaining occupants from the car and set them ablaze.

However, police officers promptly intervened, extinguished the fire and rescued the victims who were subsequently taken to the hospital for treatment.

The Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Yemisi Opalola, confirmed the incident.

Mother, 2 kids, motorbike rider crushed to death in Osun

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Tension in Akwa Ibom over abduction of monarch

Published

10 hours ago

May 19, 2024

Trends Admin

Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Police, CP Waheed Ayilara

Tension in Akwa Ibom over abduction of monarch

A monarch, Ogwong Okon A. Abang, has been kidnapped in Akwa Ibom State by gunmen.

Abang, who is the paramount Ruler in Mbo Local Government Area (LGA), was kidnapped in his palace at Ebughu.

The monarch was said to have been kidnapped at about 9pm on Saturday.

The abduction of the Paramount Ruler of Mbo, has further raised concern over the deepening security crisis in Oron nation.

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Recall that Dr John Robbin Esu was also kidnapped in Oron local government area of the state.

He has remained in the kidnappers den nearly three weeks after his abduction, a situation that has forced doctors in the State to embark on strike.

Only last week, the wife of Chief Asukwo Eweme Ulap Okon, aka Levile, a prominent political figure was also abducted in Oron.

Akwa Ibom State Police Command was yet to offer a word on the monarch’s abduction, but Commissioner of Police, CP Waheed Ayilara and other service Commanders were said to be on their way to Ebughu Palace of the victim.