News

By Uzair Adam Imam

Zakat-ul-Fitr, referred to as Zakkar Fidda Kai in Hausa, as reported in Bukhari and Muslim, is a means of forgiveness to a Muslim for his minor sins during Ramadan, Sheikh Abubakar Ayuba Tangimi said.

Zakat-ul-Fitr, also Zakatur Riqab or Zakatul Abdan, is an obligatory charity for the break of the fast at the end of the month of Ramadan.

Sheikh Tangimi, who explained this to our reporter in an interview, said that woe awaits anyone who deliberately refuses to give this alms.

He said, “Zakat-ul-Fitr is an obligatory alms to any Muslim, man, woman, boy or girl. However, in the case of small kids and slaves, the responsibility of giving the alms is on their parents or masters. 

Zakatul Fitr, when and how to be given 

“Many traditional hadiths, as reported by Abdullahi Bin Umar, Abu Sa’idul Khudri and many of the Prophet’s companions in Bukhari and Muslim, disclosed that the alms is given in the morning before the Eid.

“Some Islamic scholars posited that it could also be given two days before the Eid day. The wisdom behind this is for the poor to have what to eat before going for the Eid prayer, the act that believes to put a smile on the face of the person who lacks.

“Abdullahi Bin Umar said the Prophet (peace be upon him) taught them to give one mud of date, wheat, cikwi, a food made with milk, as their alms. 

The Sheikh also called on the general public to give the alms from the kind of food they consume, adding that “it is entirely wrong to give maize whereas you cook rice.”

Woe betide anyone who deliberately refused to give the arm

Tangimi reiterated that the alms are meant to seek forgiveness for our shortcoming deeds during Ramadan. 

He said, “those people will be punished on the day of judgement for their refusal to give the alms.”

– News Desk

Nigerian Muslims have been advised to get their voters’ cards in readiness for the 2023 general elections. The advice was given by an Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), in a Salah message issued on Sunday, 1^st May 2022 by the chairman of the group in Sokoto State, Barrister Muhammad Mansur Aliyu.

The statement reads:

“Nigerian Muslims will join billions of their brethren in celebrating the end of the 1443 (2022) Ramadan season on Monday, 2^nd May 2022. We felicitate with President Muhammadu Buhari, Senate President Ahmed Lawan and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.

Barrister Muhammad Mansur Aliyu also paid homage to the leader of all Nigerian Muslims, the Sultan of Sokoto.

He said, “We also congratulate the leader of all Nigerian Muslims, the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji (Dr.) Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, on the occasion of this year’s Id al-Fitr.

“MURIC reminds Nigerian Muslims of their civic responsibility of participating in all aspects of political activities in the country particularly as we prepare for the 2023 general elections. We lay emphasis on the need for every Muslim to collect his or her voter’s card in order to be eligible for voting. No amount of sacrifice is too much for this important civic duty.

“Muslims must not shun politics if they want to be liberated from the current spate of stigmatization, marginalization and impoverishment. We warn that Muslims who fail to obtain their voters’ cards have voted for bad rulers and Muslim haters whose main preoccupation is to persecute and oppress Muslims.

“Apart from obtaining their voters’ cards, Muslims must ensure that they participate in all political activities which will take place between now and the election period, including waiting patiently to cast their votes on election day.

Barrister Muhammad Mansur Aliyu had a word for South West Muslims: “Our brothers in the South who are facing persecution on a daily basis must allow their number to count by ensuring that they obtain their voters’ cards. Muslims constitute the majority in a place like the South West but unfortunately, they are still facing oppression today because they have not been leveraging on their majority status.

“The opportunity has now come. Go all out and get your voter’s card. Your voters’ card is your weapon of liberation. A majority population that fails to vote is, technically speaking, a minority. We, therefore, urge you to spare no efforts in getting your voters’ cards in readiness for the 2023 general election.

“We are looking forward to an election that will reveal the true picture in the region. A majority of people that has been turned into a minority due to their apathy for politics must wake up from their deep slumber. We must stop the stereotyping, the segregation, the religious apartheid and the hijab paranoia.

“We must stop the practice of denying jobs to qualified Muslims and their political marginalization. The time to do it is now. Political power will change the narrative and the popular vote is the only legitimate tool for obtaining political power in a true democracy. Your vote shall make you free.”

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Haramain Sharifain reports on Saturday, April 30, that the crescent, which marks the end of the Holy Month of Ramadhan, was not sighted in Saudi Arabia and, consequently, the Eid Al Fitri celebration in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is Monday, May 2, 2022.

“The Crescent of Shawwal 1443 was NOT SEEN today. Subsequently, the month of Ramadhan will complete 30 days tomorrow and Monday, 2nd May 2022 will be the day of Eid Al Fitri”. They reported.

The astronomers of the Kingdom have reportedly been on the search for the crescent since the early hours of today before concluding.

By Abdullahi Abdullateef

The Regional Director of the World Health Organisation, Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, called for an integrated response in a bid to end the spread of Coronavirus and other vaccine preventable diseases including polio and measles.

Dr. Moeti disclosed this at a press briefing held on Thursday, April 28,2022. She said: “The rise in outbreaks of other vaccine preventable diseases is a warning sign. As Africa works hard to defeat COVID-19, we must not forget other health threats diseases.”

Noting that vaccines are at the heart of a successful public health response and as countries restore services, routine immunisation must be at the core of revived and resilient health system.

Furthermore, she commended Nigerian government’s efforts with its recent integrated approach doubling routine immunisation and COVID-19 vaccination for mothers and their babies . The approach offered simultaneous vaccination of mother which otherwise known as whole family approach giving access to mother to get vaccinated for COVID-19 and other disease like polio, measles as well as getting the routine immunization for their children.

Adding that mass vaccination campaigns boosted COVID-19 uptake between January and April the percentage of Africans fully vaccinated against Coronavirus rose to 17.1% from 11.1%.

According to reports, the Africa Continent continued to witness a surge in outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases over the past years . Almost 17500 cases of measles were recorded in the Africa region between January and March 2022 representing a 400% in 2021. Twenty African countries reported measles outbreaks in the first quarter of this year, eight more than that in the first three months of 2021.

Speaking at the press conference, Dr. Benido Impowa stressed that routine immunisation had been a long practice in many African countries but stuck with the impact of COVID-19.

He maintained that WHO is working with African countries devise smart approaches so as to scale up both COVID-19 vaccination and ensure restoring and expansion of routine immunisation services.

By Ibrahim Nasidi Saal

Justice M.N. Mayana of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court Abuja, has convicted and sentenced Daniel Prosper Nwabueze to one-year imprisonment for a romance scam.

Nwabueze was arraigned on a one-count charge bordering on impersonation. That is contrary to Section 320(b) of the Penal Code, Laws of the Federation (Abuja), 1990 and punishable under Section 322 of the same Laws.

Nwabueze pleaded guilty to the charge.

Based on his plea, prosecution counsel, Joyce Audu, prayed the court to convict and sentence him accordingly. However, defence counsel: Anoture Akpofure and Rachel Ogbebor pleaded that the court temper justice with mercy “as the accused is a first-time offender and has shown remorse”.

By  Ibrahim Nasidi Saal

The Joint Border Patrol Team, comprising Nigerian security operatives, on Thursday, April 28, 2022, handed over the duo of Ismail Ajibade and John Adewumi, a Beninoise, arrested with $285,000 (Two Hundred and Eighty-five Thousand Dollars) and CFA 18, 925,000 (Eighteen Million Nine Hundred and Twenty-five CFA) to the EFCC, for further investigation and possible prosecution. 

The suspects were arrested on April 15, 2022, by officers of the JBPT whilst on a routine patrol along the Ilashe/Ihambo axis of Ogun State. 

While handing over the suspects, A. Adamu, who led the team, said Ajibade, who is a driver, received the foreign currencies from one Taiwo Hassan in Ogun State.

Adamu added that Ajibade was on his way to convey the same to Adewumi, who had been directed to deliver the monies to one Oladimeji in the Benin Republic when they were intercepted. 

By Nasidi ibrahim Saaal

Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has urged political parties to make drug integrity test part of the screening requirements for aspirants seeking to contest political offices in the 2023 elections on their platforms.

Marwa stated this while responding to questions from journalists at the 2022 First Quarter Best Performing Commands Awards ceremony at the Agency’s national headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday 27th 2022. 

According to him, for politicians, we have long advocated and I take the opportunity again to repeat the advocacy that when they run for public office it demands a lot of responsibility from the person and we need to be certain if he’s a person that is already a drug addict/user who will spend all the money he’s given for public service to consume cocaine and his head will not be in a stable condition to handle the affairs he has been entrusted with. For this reason, we have advocated and will continue to advocate that drug test be conducted for politicians; some state governments like Kano state is already doing this.

“Not just politicians, but government appointees, and I’ve just sent a letter this morning to the National Chairman of APC, who will be the first of the national working committee I wish to pay an advocacy visit on this issue. I recommended that drug tests be incorporated in the screening process for all those interested in running for public office; we’ll do the same to the PDP and other important parties.”

While addressing officers and men of the Agency present at the event, Gen. Marwa said the ceremony has become part and parcel of our corporate culture. Recognizing and rewarding hard work and excellence has always been a pragmatic way of stimulating productivity and enhancing the attainment of organisational goals; making it a tradition for the Agency is our way of enshrining meritocracy in the system.

“Statistics from the first quarter (Q1) report, indicated that our performance level has not dropped off. Indeed, achieving 3, 539 arrests, 677 convictions and seizures of 65, 916 kg of drugs in three months is no mean feat. Little wonder our performance continually earns the Agency deserved accolades from the right quarters within the country as well as from abroad, especially from international partners and peers. While we have not yet achieved the utopia of a drug-free society, the results showed that we are getting it right.”  

He told the officers that the awards and commendations are expected to will spur them to surpass their current feats at the next awards ceremony. The ceremony should be a poignant reminder for us not to forget where we are coming from. And there is no better way to say it other than for us to be mindful of the saying that success has a hundred fathers, but failure is always an orphan. No organisation would understand this adage better than NDLEA in the light of our past rock bottom experience. Therefore, we should all be mindful that we hold the fate of NDLEA in our hands, and that fate will be determined by our patriotism and dedication to duty, as well as our collective resolve to work towards the attainment of the Agency’s mandate. 

“Let me also seize this occasion to remind you about the importance of propagating the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) programme in your various commands. There is much we can achieve when our communities are working hand-in-hand with us. That is why our roadmap, the NDCMP 2021-2025, strongly emphasises collaboration with all the stakeholders in society. We have to woo members of society to work with us on this very important assignment. Therefore, I charge you to ensure that WADA is correctly and deeply entrenched in the spheres of operation of your respective commands, he stated. 

While assuring the officers that the Agency is proud of them, he said the sacrifice of a narcotic officer cannot be quantified in gold or silver, for he is fulfilling a higher calling. As we go about our duty of securing our society against the corrosion of illicit drugs, we should be aware that we are the direct beneficiaries of our work because for every kilo of drugs seized, we are making our streets and society safer for our children, family and kinsmen.

NDLEA is proud of its workforce; the Agency treasures the effort of its officers and men; the management shall continue to look out for their best interest. We shall continue to reward hard work and excellence.”

By Nasidi ibrahim Saaal

Niger State High Court has awarded N1 billion damages against the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

The sum is awarded against the organisations over the blockade of some roads in September 2021. The members had blocked Bida-Lambata, Bida-Minna and Lambata-Minna Roads, all in Niger State.

Consequently, a non-governmental organisation, NGO, Dan Amajiri Initiative, filed a case against the organisations that powered the blockage of the roads, protesting over the deplorable condition of the roads and claiming damages.

The group said that the damages were for the inconveniences to the lives of the general public, especially road users, caused by the gridlock that lasted for about three days on the aforementioned roads.

In his judgment, Justice Abdullahi Mika’ilu of the Niger State High Court II ordered the award of N500 million for exemplary damage and another N500 million for economic hardship against the road transport workers.

However, the judge of the court struck out the fourth to the sixth respondent; the Niger State government, the governor, and the attorney-general of the state, respectively, joined in the case.

By Muhammad Sabiu

Mehdi Hassan, a political journalist, author and show presenter at MSNBC TV has in a 6-minutes video news report exposed how the Indian government appears to be complicit with far-right fanatics in persecuting and bullying non-Hindi Indians.

This is coming amidst far-right movements in major world countries, including France, where Le Pen, the presidential candidate who contested in the recently concluded election, lost to her archrival, Emmanuel Macron, due to what many people attributed as her far-right political views against Muslims in France.

India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who has been in office since 2014, has been accused of openly promoting Hindu Nationalist Supremacist Ideology, which aims at segregating Muslims, Christians and other non-Hindi faithful.

The ideology being championed by Narendra’s political party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) could, according to scholars and observers, lead to genocide.

According to the TV presenter, Mehdi Hasan, “minorities” in the Indian Muslim and Christian communities are facing the greatest threat since India became independent.

Mehdi recalled also that the great Mahatma Ghandi himself was assassinated by the so-called Hindu supremacists, who believe India belongs to them.

Recall that the Daily Reality has reported that, during the Hindu celebration of Ram Navmi early this month, Muslims in many Indian states were reportedly scared as crowds marched through their towns, shouting anti-Muslim slogans and destroying their property.

This is what prompted the forum of Nigerian Ulama to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India to rescind his Neo-Nazi ideology and embrace democracy as envisioned by India’s founding fathers.

In a statement released by the Forum of Ulama, the preachers lamented: “India claims to be a democratic secular State, but in the actual sense it is an undemocratic Hindu supremacist State. There is no other modern state in the world today that oppresses over 200 million of its citizens solely on the basis of their religious beliefs, with brutal determination to strip them of their rights to exist as human beings.”

By Uzair Adam Imam

A Nigerian based Islamic organisation, Ulama Forum, has called on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India to rescind his Neo-Nazi ideology and embrace democracy as envisioned by India’s founding fathers.

The forum urged Modi and other stakeholders in the country to take concrete action to mitigate violence against Muslims to promote peaceful coexistence.

This was contained in a release jointly signed and issued Tuesday by the forum secretary, Engineer Basheer Adamu Aliyu, and its convener, Aminu Inuwa Muhammad.

The Daily Reality gathered that Muslims in several Indian states had been terrorised as mobs came out in processions, making hate speeches and attacking their properties during the Hindu festival of Ram Navmi.

The escalation of violence against the minority communities, particularly Muslims, has recently seen a steep increment, making it hard for the Ulama Forum to believe India is a democratic secular country.

The statement also called on the Indian Muslims to hold on to their faith and avail the rest of the Indian population of the benefits of Islamic justice.

The statement reads: “They should hold on to their faith and avail the rest of the Indian population with the benefits of Islamic justice, which restrains Muslims from overreacting against all provocations.”

“Indian Muslims should use every constitutional window available to them to seek redress on the excesses committed against them by Hindu extremists.”

“Indian press, especially those who believe in democracy and universal human values and who are immune to sectarian tendencies, should continue with the good works of fair and truthful reportage, which will promote justice and fairness to all,” the statement added.

Muslims at knifepoint in India

The statement also lamented that India has been witnessing sporadic violence targeted at its large number of Muslims promoted by the Neo-Nazi BJP Government for the past decade.

It stated that “The most recent of which is during a Hindu religious ceremony which was marked by thousands of youth marching into Muslim dominated areas, brandishing guns and swords, using public address system to prevent Muslims from concentrating in worship inside their mosques.”

“Whenever Muslims react in any way, a combined disproportionate force is used on them with Hindu citizens using guns and the India Police arresting mostly Muslims who are the victims of the violence.”

You cannot eliminate Islam

The statement taunted that it is unwise for any Indian to think of eliminating Muslims in the country, let alone Islam.

India has over 200 million Muslims, ranking the country as having the second-largest number of Muslims globally.

“It is, therefore, perplexing how anyone can think of eliminating such,” the statement concluded.