Abuja Islamic cleric suspended over ‘anti govt’ sermon

By Akinwande Soji-Ojo

The mosque committee of Apo Legislative Quarters, Abuja, has suspended its Chief Imam, Shiekh Nuru Khalid, over a sermon he delivered on Friday.

Sheikh Khalid in the sermon flayed the Federal Government over its failure to tame the escalating insecurity and killings in the country.

The Imam had in his sermon told the electorate what they should do if the authorities fail to protect their lives.

“Nigerian masses should resort to only one term which is – protect our lives, we will come out to vote; let us be killed, we will not come out to vote, since it’s only elections that you people know,” he had said.

But a statement sent to BBC Hausa Service by the chairman of the mosque committee, Senator Saidu Muhammed Dansadau, said the committee suspended the Imam over his sermon that it deemed “inciting public outrage.”

The statement read:“I am informing you that you have been suspended from leading prayers in the Apo Legislative Quarters Mosque from today being April 2nd, 2022 until further notice.

“The decision was taken out of the inciting Friday sermon you delivered on April 1st, 2022; where you advised people not to vote come 2023 general elections unless politicians respond to some critical questions.

“You should have advised them to vote out those that transgress the Almighty and breach people’s social contract as well as the state.”

The committee maintained that Khalid’s sermon negated tenets of Islam.

The committee immediately appointed Malam Mohammad who will deliver Ramadan Tafsir while Malam Abdullahi will be leading Friday prayers.

Khalid has said to be an avid critic of the government over the escalation of insecurity in the country.

His latest sermon is coming few days after terrorists’ attacked Kaduna-bound train where a yet-to-be ascertained number of passengers were killed and several others abducted.