Sokoto Eid prayer defiance as cleric Sheikh Musa Lukuwa leads early Eid prayers despite Sultan of Sokoto’s directive over moon sighting

A religious disagreement has emerged in Sokoto State after Islamic scholar Sheikh Musa Lukuwa led his followers in Eid-el-Fitr prayers on Thursday, despite an earlier directive from the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, who had announced Friday as the official Sallah day.

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The Sokoto Eid prayer defiance unfolded at the cleric’s Mabera mosque, where Sheikh Lukuwa conducted the two-unit Eid prayer at about 9:10 a.m., following an overnight announcement to his followers regarding reported moon sighting claims.

The Sultan had earlier declared that the Shawwal crescent moon was not sighted anywhere in Nigeria, a position traditionally used to determine the official end of Ramadan and the celebration of Eid.

However, Sheikh Lukuwa justified his decision, citing reports of moon sighting from neighbouring Niger Republic, which he described as geographically close and therefore reliable for religious observance.

He explained that trusted contacts had confirmed the development, prompting his group to proceed with Eid prayers in line with their interpretation of Islamic teachings.

According to him, accepting verified sightings from a neighbouring country should not be controversial, especially when reports from distant Nigerian cities are also commonly considered in religious determinations.

The cleric stressed that his actions were not intended as a challenge to the authority of the Sultan of Sokoto, but rather an adherence to what he described as established religious principles guiding the sighting of the moon.

Sheikh Lukuwa further noted that his followers traditionally align with the Sultan’s directives at the beginning and end of Ramadan, but insisted that once credible moon sighting is confirmed, religious obligations must be observed accordingly.

He referenced historical practices in Islamic leadership in Nigeria, noting that the late Abubakar Mahmoud Gumi previously played a central role in announcing moon sightings before the responsibility was later unified under the Sultan for communal harmony.

The cleric maintained that the Sultan’s decision in this instance was, in his view, incorrect, adding that his followers would not comply with the Friday directive.

Separate accounts also suggest that Lukuwa informed his followers around midnight of the reported sighting and instructed them to assemble for early Eid prayers the following morning, leading to the observed gathering at the mosque.

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The development highlights ongoing sensitivities around religious authority and moon sighting interpretation within parts of the Muslim community in Nigeria.