A mild drama was played out at the Ilorin main eid praying ground on Wednesday as a large number of worshipers that came to observe eid el fitri prayer were shocked to learn that two-rakat prayers had been said before their arrival.
Tribune Online gathered that the annual eid el fitri prayer was usually said at 10 am, but was reportedly said at 8:30 am.
The astonished worshippers, who still trooped into the central eid prayer ground, later went to different community prayer grounds to observe the prayer which concluded Ramadan fasting.
However, Tribune Online gathered that prayer was said before usual scheduled time to avoid the rumoured planned activities of some people ready to cause havoc due to delayed-payment of salary of local government workers in the state.
Meanwhile, a leading Ilorin based Muslim cleric, Uztaz Abubakar Aliy-Kamal, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to wade into salary crises bedevilling most states of the federation.
He said deliberate effort should be made to improve the nation’s economy to allow state governments and even the private sector meets their obligation to Nigerian workers.
Aliy-Kamal, who is the Imam of Issa- Elelu mosque, Murtala Muhammed Way, Ilorin spoke after the Eid el Fitr prayer in his mosque.
The Issa- Elelu and other smaller mosques where Eid el Fitr prayer was observed recorded huge turnout of worshippers, while there was water tight security at Ilorin praying ground, apparently to forestall any breakdown of law and order.
Stern looking riot policemen manned security at various entry points to the prayer ground; as well as within and around the prayer ground.
Aliy- Kamal urged workers to remain calm while government find solution to the salary crises.
Also at the Ilorin Yidi praying ground, the Chief Imam of Ilorin, Alhaji Muhammad Bashir Soliu, reminded Muslims of the importance Zakatul Fitri .
He noted that “life is vanity upon vanity and must be taken as such. The rich should extend hands of generosity to the poor in order to promote equity, fairness and justice. Let us also know that death is inevitable and resurrection is not a lie as enshrined in the Quran and Sunnah.”
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