Imam sacked for complying with ban on religious gatherings

The Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’a Wa’iqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS) in Zaria local government area of Kaduna has sacked Abubakar Sarki-Aminu, its imam, for complying with a ban on congregational prayers.

The Kaduna government has since banned religious and social gatherings as part of efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Sarki-Aminu, who has reportedly been leading prayers at the Sheik Abubakar Mahmood Gumi Juma’at Mosque, Kofar Gayan low-cost, Zaria for almost 40 years, was relieved of his duty for not leading prayers on Friday.

Sani Yakubu, JIBWIS chairman, confirmed the development but declined to make further comments, according to NAN.

Yakubu said Shehu Dan-Maikuli, mosque’s committee chairman, would speak on his behalf.

The committee chairman said there were issues prior to the removal of Sarki-Aminu.

“It was agreed that the Imam should be organising monthly committee meetings to discuss problems and prospects of the mosque, but after that resolution, we spent over four years without a single meeting,” he said.

“When this issue of coronavirus came, one day the Imam just stood up after leading Zuhur prayer and announced that as from that day he had suspended congregational prayers until the issue is over.

“When I came for Asr prayer, I was 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.”

Dan-Maikuli said the matter was reported to the JIBWIS chairman who came on Wednesday and led Isha (night) prayer.

The chairman thereafter announced the sack of Sarki-Aminu and replaced him with Ahmad Tijjani.

In his defence, Sarki-Aminu said he shut down the mosque in compliance with the state’s directive on the ban of religious gatherings.

“My deputy Imam called me on phone that Sheik Sani Yakubu ordered that we should continue with the congregational prayers, that I should come out for Subhi (dawn) prayer,” he said.

“I replied him that if the chairman wants me to continue with the congregational prayers, let him formally write to me so that I will be convinced that his order supersedes that of government.

“I waited without anything to that effect. Later I learnt that the chairman came and led a congregational Isha’i prayer and announced my removal and replacement.”