Mild drama at Ilorin Eid prayer ground

A mild drama was played out at the Ilorin main Eid praying ground on Wednesday as a large number of worshippers that came to observe Eid-el-Fitri prayer were shocked to learn that two Rakat prayers had been said before their arrival.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the annual Eid prayer was usually said at 10:00am, but was reportedly said at 8:30am.

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.

However, the Nigerian Tribune gathered that the 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 meet their obligations to Nigerian workers.

Aliy-Kamal, who is the Imam of Issa-Elelu mosque, Murtala Muhammed Way, Ilorin, spoke after the Eid-el-Fitri prayer in his mosque.

The Issa-Elelu and other smaller mosques where prayers were observed recorded huge turnout of worshippers, while there was water tight security at the Ilorin praying ground, apparently to forestall any breakdown of law and order.

Also at the Ilorin Yidi praying ground, the Chief Imam of Ilorin, Alhaji Muhammad Bashir Soliu, reminded Muslims of the importance of Zakatul Fitri.