Sallah: Sokoto Cleric Defies Sultan’s Orders, Leads Eid Prayers on Tuesday

Sheikh Musa Lukwa, a cleric based in Sokoto, defied the orders of Sultan Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar and led his followers in observing Eid prayers on Tuesday.

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, under the leadership of the Sultan, had declared that fasting would continue on Tuesday as the crescent moon had not been sighted. However, Sheikh Lukwa, who has a history of disregarding the Sultan’s directives, claimed that the moon of Shawwal had been sighted in Niger Republic.

He argued that since Niger Republic is closer to Nigeria than Saudi Arabia, whose sighting is accepted, there was no moral justification to not observe Eid prayers on Tuesday. This is not the first time Sheikh Lukwa has gone against the Sultan’s orders, as he did the same in 2022.