Sheik Sani Yakubu probably believes, as do some other Muslim leaders, that Allah will protect Muslim congregations from the coronavirus. In the event that some Muslims contract it anyway, it will likely lead them to become even more fanatical, leading to an increase in jihad activity.
“Kaduna: JIBWIS sacks Imam for complying with ban on mass congregation,” by Wale Odunsi, Daily Post, April 17, 2020 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):
The Zaria branch of Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’a Wa’iqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS), has sacked an Imam for complying with Kaduna State Government ban on congregational prayers.
The Imam, Malam Abubakar Sarki-Aminu, has been leading prayers at Sheik Abubakar Mahmood Gumi Juma’at Mosque, Kofar Gayan Low-cost, Zaria for almost 40 years.
NAN reports that Sheik Sani Yakubu, the JIBWIS Chairman, confirmed the issue on Friday in Zaria, but declined further comment.
The mosque’s Chairman, Alhaji Shehu Dan-Maikuli, who spoke on his behalf, explained that prior to the removal of the Imam, there were some issues.
“After the resolution, it was agreed that the Imam should be organizing monthly committee meetings to discuss problems and prospects of the Mosque, but after that resolution, we spent over four years without a single meeting.
“When this issue of coronavirus came, one day, the Imam stood up after leading Zuhur prayer and announced that from that day he had suspended congregational prayers until the issue was over.
“When I came for Asr prayer, I was told that the Imam ordered for closure of the Mosque. I called him on the phone to enquire and he said yes he had ordered that the Mosque be closed,” he said.
Dan-Maikuli added that the Imam neither consulted him being the chairman, nor other members of the committee before taking the decision.
He said that they reported the case to the Chairman, JIBWIS, Zaria Local Government, who came on Wednesday and led Isha (night) prayer and thereafter announced the sack of the Imam and replaced him with Malam Ahmad Tijjani.
But the sacked Imam said he stopped congregational prayers with respect to government directives….