*JNI says Sheikh Gumi inciting followers
A dispute over who becomes Imam of the Sultan Bello Mosque, one of the most respected mosque in the Northern Part of Nigeria on Friday was engulfed, resulting into the mosque being shut down by security personnel and the mandatory Juma’at prayers was put off.
The crisis raised its ugly head during the last Eid kabir celebration September 12, 2o16 when there was a crisis on who to lead the Eid prayers.
The Secretary-General of the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, has later appointed as the Imam of Sultan Bello Mosque, Kaduna on 13th October 2016 by the decision of His Eminence the Sultan of Sokoto, HRH Emir of Zazzau and other Muslim leadership.
His appointment, as gathered, followed a misunderstanding at the mosque after an incident which occurred on Eid day, 12th September, 2016 that led to a division in the Eid prayer and removal of Sheikh Balele Waliý, after which the Deputy Imam had been overseeing the affairs of the mosque.
Signs of lingering problems started showing as early as 8.00am on Friday 28th, October 2016, when a truck loaded with armed policemen station themselves
around the mosque, led to a division that disrupted Juma’at prayers at the mosque yesterday, Police however quickly intervened to prevent breakdown of law and order.
Addressing newsmen after the incident, Secretary-General of the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, who is also the appointed Imam alleged that the disruption at the Mosque was cause by Sheikh Abubakar Mahmud Gumi followers by his order.
According to him, the cleric took to one of his page in social media to order his
followers on Thursday 27 October, 2016, not to allow the peaceful conduct of the Juma’at prayers the next day.
The Imam described the incident of the 12th September 2016, as the act of irresponsible for any body to stop an Imam charge with the responsibility to conduct the prayer during on going prayer and go ahead to lead without apology.
He also noted that sending his followers by Sheikh Abubakar Mahmud Gumi to disrupted the yesterday prayer without directive from any constitute authority make him look like some one who words is law, undermining the authority that appoint Dr. Kalid as the interim Imam whose also appointed previous Imams hence the for his excesses to check by security agencies.
He however called on the state government to intervene on the matter by checking his excesses and assured that the leadership would come in to the to bring peace.
Meanwhile, there had been early warning by Sheikh Abubakar Mahmud Gumi of a
plot by Emir of Zazzau to cause chaos by appointing Dr. Khalid as the chief Imam at
Sultan Bello Mosque saying that the imposition of a chief Imam at the Sultan Bello Mosque could affect the peace and stability of the mosque.
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