The much-anticipated national prayer session scheduled for saturday, August 10, at Isyaka Rabi’u’s Mosque in Goron Dutse, Kano state, has been abruptly cancelled due to security concerns.
The announcement was made by Mubarak Ibrahim Lawan, the Coordinator of the national prayer against hardship and bad governance, who expressed deep regret over the situation.
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In an official statement released on Friday, Lawan revealed that the decision to cancel the event was based on intelligence reports from the Kano State Commissioner of Police, CP Salman Dogo Garba, and the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS) in the state, Alhassan Muhammad.
According to the statement, these security officials had alerted the organizers to a potential threat posed by “evil forces” who had allegedly planned to infiltrate the peaceful gathering. “We have been informed that some miscreants have been faithlessly prepared to penetrate the law-abiding worshippers and use the gathering to their advantage,” Lawan said. “It is suspected that they would lead some youths into looting, shoplifting, and freebooting, once again as it happened on August 1st, the day the national protest began.”
He said to prevent a repeat of the chaos that occurred during the national protest, the organizers decided to cancel the event.
“Hence, we cancel the massive gathering today, Friday, August 9th, to avert the could-be chaotic mayhem in the state,” Lawan continued.
He urged the general public to remain in their respective local mosques and continue with the scheduled prayers from their locations. “The prayer goal could be achieved wherever we are as Allah hears us wherever we are,” he added.
The cancellation comes as a disappointment to many who had planned to attend the prayer session, which was expected to draw a large crowd from across the state and beyond. However, Lawan emphasized that the safety of the public was paramount.
He also used the opportunity to call on the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity. “I ask the general public to be extra vigilant against any infiltration by any stranger who might be carrying some suspicious objects,” he warned.
In closing, Lawan urged the public to remain steadfast in their prayers for the country. “Let us pray hard for the betterment of the country,” he said, expressing hope that the collective prayers would contribute to peace and stability in Nigeria.
