COVID-19: Eid-el-Fitr Prayers To Hold Indoors

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Bello, has banned Eid prayers at the National Eid prayer ground along the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Expressway, Airport Road.

The prohibition, Bello said, is due to COVID-19 ravaging some part of the world.

The Minister on Monday chaired a meeting of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and a delegation from the FCT League of Imams Initiative led by its chairman, Imam (Dr) Tajudeen Adigun.

The meeting discussed measures on how to curb further spread of the pandemic and modalities of holding prayers for the upcoming Eid el-Fitr celebrations.

Based on presentations by officials of the Health and Human Services Secretariat of the FCTA and the Implementation guidelines for phased Restriction of Movement by the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 on Monday May 10, 2021, the Minister further ordered all worshippers to hold Eid prayers outdoors within the premises of their neighborhood Juma’at mosques.

The Chief Press Secretary, Anthony Ogunleye, also affirmed in a statement realesed on Tuesday, that all Eid celebrations and activities should be confined to homes.

He said all public parks, recreation and entertainment centres are to be closed.

The statement reads in part: “There will be no Eid prayers at the National Eid prayer ground along the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Expressway (Airport Road)

“Indoor worship are to be limited to less than 50% of installed capacity.

“Religious authorities are advised to regulate the flow of people entering and exiting places of worship.

“All non-pharmaceutical intervention protocols of facial coverings, physical distancing and hand washing are to be observed.”