Abuja Imam suspended over ‘inciting’ sermon

THE steering committee of the Apo Legislative Quarters Mosque at the weekend suspended the Chief Imam, Sheikh Nuru Khalid, for delivering a sermon last Friday, which it stated was capable of inciting public outrage. 

Reacting to the suspension, Sheikh Khalid declared that it is only Allah who gives power and can take same away from anyone. 

The suspension of the Imam was contained in a statement made available by the mosque chairman, Senator Saidu Muhammed Dansadau, which he made available to BBC Hausa Service. Dansadau said the suspension was until further notice. 

He said the decision was taken because of the ‘inciting’ sermon the Imam delivered on Friday, April 1, 2022 in which he advised people not to vote in 2023 general election, unless politicians respond to some critical questions. 

According to Dansadau, Sheikh Khalid ought to have advised Nigerians to vote out those that transgress the Almighty and breach people’s social contract as well as the state. 

Dansadau said, “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 1, 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.” 

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According to Daily Trust, while reacting to the development, Sheikh Khalid, who claimed he learnt of his suspension through the social media, said he was unperturbed. 

Khalid vowed to continue speaking the truth, daring those who perceive his sermon as inciting to show evidence. 

He said, “God is the most powerful. He gives (enthrones) and takes away power (dethrones) from whomever He wishes. 

“Oh God! The master of sovereignty, you give sovereignty to whom you please; and seize sovereignty from whom you please, you honour whom you please and you abase whom you please; all good is in your hands, indeed you have power over all things.” 

In the video of the alleged “inciting” sermon Khalid delivered during last Friday’s Juma’at prayer in the mosque seen by Nigerian Tribune, the Imam lamented the state of insecurity in the country in which people are dying, while some are being kidnapped. He noted that despite the situation in the country, the government kept telling Nigerians that it was doing its best, asserting that the people deserved more than the government’s best. 

Khalid went further to submit that despite the fact that the people want a secure Nigeria, the government is only concerned about the 2023 general elections. 

He advised, “the citizens to send a message: that yes, we are going to vote in 2023 but under condition that there must be security in Nigeria. 

“Prior to that, we are not going to vote anything. If that is the only language you understand, we’re gonna speak it because our lives are important. We are people; we want to live and our dignity is important as well; our wealth is important. Every part of us is important.” 

While lamenting government’s inability to deploy intelligence information in tackling insecurity in the country, the Imam said terrorists could gather same as if they were government of their own. 

He declared that while they (clerics) would pray for peace and security in the country, they would tell the government the truth, “that corruption is everywhere. That is why we are seeing this.”