Abuja Imam suspended for criticising Buhari’s administration

Chief Imam, Shiekh Nuru Khalid, has been suspended by the committee of Apo legislative quarters, Abuja over a sermon critical of the government he delivered on Friday.

Khalid in the sermon criticized the government over its inability to tackle the growing insecurity and killings in the country.

He highlighted some measures that electorate should devise should the authorities fail to protect their lives.

He said, “Nigerian masses should resort to only one term which is – protect our lives, we will come out to vote; let us be killed, we will not come out to vote, since it’s only elections that you people know,” he added.

In a statement, the chairman of the mosque committee, Senator Saidu Muhammed Dansadau sent to BBC Hausa Service, said the committee suspended the vocal Imam over his sermon that it deemed ‘inciting public outrage’.

The statement read, “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 1st, 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.”

The committee maintained that Sheikh Khalid sermon contravened the tenets of Islam.

The committee has appointed Malam Mohammad who will deliver Ramadan Tafsir while Malam Abdullahi will be leading Friday prayers.

Meanwhile, there’s no reaction from the suspended imam. Sheikh Khalid has been an strong critic of the government over the escalation of insecurity in Nigeria.

His recent sermon is coming a couple of days following terrorists’ devastating attack on Kaduna-bound train where a yet-to-be ascertained number of passengers were killed and others abducted.