A Sokoto-based Islamic scholar, Sheikh Musa Lukuwa, on Thursday led his followers in observing Eid al-Fitr prayers, defying the directive of the Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar, who had declared Friday as the official Sallah day.
The cleric conducted the two-unit Eid prayer at his Mabera mosque at about 9:10 a.m., drawing a large number of followers who aligned with his position.
The development comes after the Sultan announced that the Shawwal crescent moon had not been sighted anywhere in Nigeria, thereby fixing Friday for Eid celebrations.
However, Lukuwa rejected the position, citing reports of moon sighting in the neighbouring Niger Republic.
In a message that later circulated on social media, the cleric said he relied on verified information from trusted contacts across the border.
“Niger Republic is very close to us—about 100 kilometres away,” he said. “If we accept reports from cities like Kano or even Lagos, which are farther away, there is no reason to reject confirmed sightings from a neighbouring country.”
Despite the apparent defiance, Lukuwa maintained that his decision was rooted in religious obligation rather than a challenge to the Sultan’s authority.
“We usually follow the Sultan’s directive in starting and ending Ramadan. However, when it is clear that the moon has been sighted, we must act in accordance with the teachings of the Prophet, even if it differs from the Sultan’s declaration,” he stated.
The cleric also referenced the historical role of the late Abubakar Mahmoud Gummi, noting that moon sightings were previously announced by individual scholars before the responsibility was centralised under the Sultan to promote unity among Muslims.
He, however, insisted that the Sultan’s decision in the current instance was incorrect and declared that his followers would not comply with it.
According to Bellnews, sources disclosed that Lukuwa had earlier informed his congregants around midnight of the reported moon sighting in the Niger Republic and instructed them to return for Eid prayers the following morning.