The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar Sa’ad III has instructed the Nigerian Muslims to begin Ramadan fast tomorrow, Friday after the new Crescent was sighted in some parts of the country.
The Sultan, who doubles as the President-general of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs however didn’t disclose the states where the moon was sighted.
This is the first time the Emir would be omitting the States in his yearly broadcast, Muslim News can authoritatively confirm this.
The Deputy Secretary-general of the NSCIA, an umbrella body for Nigerian Muslims, Prof. Salisu Shehu told Muslim News that the new Crescent of Ramadan was sighted in two places, namely; Gashua, Yobe and Katsina, Katsina states.
Also affirming this, a member of the National Moon Sighting Committee, Mal. Simwal Jubril, while speaking with our correspondent, said the moon was sighted in Gashua, Yobe and Katsina, Katsina states.
Before the Sultan’s official announcement on NTA network news as monitored by Muslim News, Mal. Jubril had earlier tweeted via his Twitter handle @simwal that:
“The Sultanate commitee has started receiving sighting reports, and will provide an update shortly after consulting His Eminence the Sultan of Sokoto inshaallah.
“Few positive results, compilation and verification still going on. His Eminence will make a formal announcement later inshaallah.”
The two tweets were later retweeted via the official account of the National Moon Sighting Committee of the NSCIA.
