The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, has urged Muslims to begin special prayers nationwide to seek Allah’s intervention to end the country’s current security challenges.

The Sultan made the call in a statement issued on Sunday in Kaduna by Khalid Aliyu, secretary-general of Jam’atu Nasril Islam (JNI).

The statement said the Sultan expressed deep concern over the resurgence of terrorist attacks in the country and stressed that it was imperative to seek divine intervention for peace and stability of the country.

“His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto and the President-General, JNI, uses this medium to call on the Nigerian Muslim Ummah to engage in sustained supplications and prayers at this moment of grief,” it stated. “This call has become imperative, bearing in mind that human lives have continued to be exterminated and even immolated unchallenged.”

It urged Muslims to fervently and faithfully “resort to Allah, the exceedingly beneficent and benevolently merciful in the face of these calamities by engaging in Al-Qunoot special supplication in the last Raka’ah of each obligatory and non-obligatory prayers,” specifically to seek intervention from Allah.

“We should sincerely devote time at nights and call unto Allah, the responder to prayers. The Sultan further calls on all Imams, knowledge-seeking gatherings, study circles, Islamic schools as well as the leadership of all Muslim organisations and societies in Nigeria to commence the special prayers,” added the statement.

It encouraged Muslims to pray against kidnapping, Boko Haram, ISWAP, “political rascality,” and other crimes.

“May Allah, the most merciful, forgive all victims of the killings and bless them with ‘shahadah, may He console their respective families and strengthen them to bear the loss. May He also assist, direct and energize those in authorities willing to discharge their first responsibility of protecting lives and properties,” the statement said. “May the enemies of the Nigerian state be destroyed.”

It called on the government at all levels to brace up to the challenges of good governance. 

(NAN)