Muslims urged to offer Eid prayers from home – FG

Muslims in Nigeria have been urged to celebrate the Islamic festival of Eid at home under lockdown this weekend.

National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Dr. Sani Aliyu, made the appeal on Tuesday at the bational briefing of the committee.

“The EID celebration is an important milestone that we urge our Muslim brothers and sisters to observe in the safety of their homes,” he said.

Traditionally the festival at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan is marked with communal prayers in mosques, visits to friends and family.

But the PTF coordinator says people should celebrate virtually due to social-distancing measures brought in during the coronavirus pandemic.

Aliyu said, “The PTF would continue to work with states to align with national guidelines, adding that state governments are still allowed to take decisions in regards to their local settings. We will continue to promote ownership of this response at state level.

“We must remember that we are still in the pandemic where community transmission is becoming quite entrenched. We need to be aware as we move on to further relaxation, this does not mean the risk has gone away.

“We have to make sure that whatever decision we make, we do not drag ourselves back to the beginning of the pandemic. We haven’t safely reach a stage where we can say.”