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The Chairman, Muslim Community of Oyo State, Alhaji Kunle Sanni, on Wednesday said he is not in support of reopening the mosques in the state due to the rising cases of COVID-19.
Sanni, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan, said that though the Muslim Community of Oyo State has yet to take a decision on the state government’s decision to reopen worship centers , he is personally not in support of reopening mosques, adding that the rate at which the virus is spreading in the state was alarming.
“Islam permits us to pray at home when there is a pandemic and God has said everywhere is a mosque.
“So, you can observe Jumat prayer at home with your family, I don’t understand how the governor expects us to enforce the protocol because we were never consulted,”Sanni said.
He added that the Muslim Community in the state was planning a meeting where faithful would be allowed to express their opinion and take a final decision on the matter.
“If we say people should not go to the mosques now before calling a meeting, those that are materialistic in nature will still go because of the money they make every Friday.
“So, for now, we just allow each Islamic organisation to take a decision as it pleases it.
“But from the information we are getting from various Islamic organisations, some may not open their mosques,” Sanni stated.
Gov. Seyi Makinde had on Monday approved the resumption of religious activities in the state, with mosques and churches asked to operate at 25 per cent capacity.
According to the data from Nigerian Center for Disease Conteol (NCDC), the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Oyo state has increased to 605, 242 patients have recovered and eight deaths have been been recorded.