Muslim faithful gathered at the historic Sultan Bello Mosque in Kaduna on Friday to offer special prayers for peace and unity to mark Nigeria’s 66th independence anniversary.

The deputy chief Imam, Abdullahi Aliyu, urged political leaders and citizens to uphold trust, truthfulness and integrity for national development.

Mr Aliyu, who delivered the sermon, reminded the congregation that political office and worldly power were temporary and required responsible stewardship.

He said God tests people with wealth, families, and positions to see how they manage such trusts.

“God tests us with trust, our wealth, our families, and the positions He has given us, whether big or small,” Mr Aliyu said.

He stressed that honesty remained a divine obligation in governance, commerce and other areas of human endeavour.

The cleric urged Muslims to examine whether their actions reflected trust and truthfulness, stressing that betrayal of trust had serious consequences.

He said people would eventually leave behind their wealth, positions and worldly possessions, with only their good deeds accompanying them to the grave.

The special Juma’at service marked the beginning of a weeklong programme of activities announced by Kaduna State Commissioner for Information and Culture, Ahmed Maiyaki.

According to Mr Maiyaki, the anniversary activities will continue on Sunday,  with an inter-denominational church service at Living Faith Church, Barnawa Garden.

He said the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice would represent Governor Uba Sani at the service.

The celebrations will climax on Thursday, October 1, with an official parade at Murtala Mohammed Square, Kaduna, presided over by Mr Sani.

Mr Maiyaki said independence carried both privilege and responsibility, urging residents to embrace dialogue, inclusion and peaceful coexistence.

He said such values would strengthen community bonds and contribute to sustainable national development.

(NAN)