Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, the Etsu Nupe and Chairman of the Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, led the state’s Muslim faithful in seeking God’s face on Thursday in an effort to end the state’s rainfall drought.
At the Eid prayer ground in Esso, Bida, Abubakar was joined by other farmers, traditional and religious leaders, and representatives of the Bida Emirate in praying to God for an abundance of rains in the emirate, Niger, and the country overall.
The intercession for rainfall followed over three weeks of drought, during which farmers in the state had started bemoaning the gradual drying up of their crops, which they said, may lead to a poor harvest in 2024.
Due to the state’s lack of consistent rainfall, farmers in Bida Emirate and citizens of other local governments turned to special prayers in hopes of receiving divine intervention from God to prevent the impending drought.
Speaking just after the prayer session, the Etsu Nupe explained that the action was taken in order to ask Almighty Allah for forgiveness and mercy. He said that in the wake of any social catastrophe, Muslims are taught in Islam to turn from their sins and ask God for forgiveness.
Thus, he called upon the Muslim Ummah to pardon one another, abstain from all actions that Islam forbids, reject immorality, and turn back to God in sincere repentance.
“Whenever there is a possible threat of drought, we are enjoined by Allah (SWT) through His Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) that we should go back to Him, and seek His guidance and forgiveness.
“We seek Allah’s mercy and guidance and we hope this prayer will be answered by Allah (SWT) and that He will grant us not only rain but also bless our crops and other things that we need to survive,” he said.
During his speech at the prayer ground, Sheikh Adamu Liman-Yakatun, the Chief Imam of Bida emirate, enumerated the causes of drought and other misfortunes that strike communities.
In his words, “They include the failure of the people to redeem their pledges and some shoddy deals by some marketers and people who provide services, among others.
“Even these unnecessary killings of innocent citizens can be responsible for rainfall shortage, including our bad characters,” the Sheikh said.
Liman-Yakatun pointed out that, given the high price of food in the market and the state’s security concerns, crops require a lot of water to live.
He exhorted the state’s citizens to fear God in whatever they do, and he pleaded with the authorities to treat their constituents with dignity and extend the necessary humanitarian aid.
The Chief Imam beseeched God to end the suffering that Nigerians endure wherever they reside in the nation and prayed for enough rain to enable farmers to reap bountiful harvests.
