Kogi community begins 3,200-capacity central mosque project

THE Ohimegye Igu Koton Karfe, Agaa-Baidu, Alhaji Abdulrazaq Sani Isakoto, has laid the foundation stone of a 3,200-capacity modern central mosque in Koton Karfe, headquarters of Kogi Local Government Area of Kogi State.

The traditional ruler said at the groundbreaking ceremony that the project was conceived out of the desire of Muslims in the area and its environs to have a befitting modern mosque.

“We have never had a beautiful mosque in Koton Karfe and so I pray that this one would be the mosque that will redefine us,” Alhaji Isakoto said.

The traditional ruler thanked everyone who had contributed to the success of the foundation laying ceremony. “We pray that as time goes on, we will call you again to come for the dedication of the mosque,” he added.

Speaking on the rising insecurity in the country, the traditional ruler stressed the need to go back to the family units and address moral decadence.

He said: “If we can tackle that, we will be able to fight insecurity. I have said at so many forums that I don’t believe that poverty can lead somebody to crime. If you look at leadership as being our problem today, you will get it wrong.

“In a situation where you ethnicise and politicise crime, you will never get an answer. There is no ethnic group that is not involved in banditry, kidnapping or whatever.”

The traditional ruler admonished parents to ensure that their children get education as a way of reducing illiteracy, poverty, insecurity and social vices.

In an address, the chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Professor Ibrahim Aguye, called on members of the Muslim community to support the project and ensure its completion in a timely fashion.

The project coordinator, Malam Alhassan Abdulmumin, noted that the old central mosque’s structure had existed for about 30 years with so many challenges.

“We felt we could not continue to live in an unsafe building, and we proposed that the old structure be demolished, and new one be constructed to meet modern challenges.

“The complex is divided into two main structures; the mosque’s interior with capacity to take about 1,200 worshippers. The outdoor area can take about 2,000, making it altogether a 3,200-capacity mosque,” Abdulmumin said.

He added that the masjid would have shopping mall where Islamic books and other materials would be sold to support maintenance and training for children.

He said the expected completion period of the mosque is 12 months at an estimated cost of N400 million.

The chairman of the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) in Kogi State, Alhaji Usman Bello, commended the traditional ruler and the people of Koton Karfe for their commitment to building a modern mosque for worshippers.

He expressed confidence that Governor Yahaya Bello would fulfill “the promise he made to His Royal Majesty to ensure that Koton Karfe has a befitting central mosque.”

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