Minna
Niger state government has suspended Friday prayer in all the mosques and Sunday church service across all the different denominations in the state.
Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Matane, who made the disclosure in a statement he made available to newsmen in Minna on Thursday said the closure became necessary to avert the spread of corona virus epidemic
Duaglobalnews reports that the closure is coming on the heels of the ravaging Corona Virus which has no recorded case in the state since it entered Nigeria.
The SSG advised to avoid large gathering, particularly where more than 30 persons are.
Ahmed Matane, who is the Chairman, Niger State Task Force on COVID-19, explained that the suspension of such prayers was part of state government precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the disease.
The SSG, who told the people not to see the closure as a denial of their right to worship, appealed to them to see government’s action as a necessary precautionary measure.
According to him, it also to ward off possible impending disaster large gathering could pose to public health.
He said that the action was also taken considering the fact that there were people in the state who come in contact with carriers of the virus.
According to SSG, the state government has a duty to work with all religious leaders and others critical stakeholders with to ensure that everything humanly possible is done to reduce the chances of corona virus spreading to the state.
“As part of precautionary measures to check the virus, the state government has also ordered closure of all public and private schools and tertiary institutions across the state for 30 days.
” We have also mposed curfew and suspended all public gathering,” he said.
He called on the people to consider their safety above personal interest by showing more understanding and pray for God’s intervention to ward off the spread of Coronavirus to the state.
