The United Nations Assistant Secretary General and Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohammed Fall, was among Muslim faithfuls who joined Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya and the Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Abubakar Shehu Abubakar III, in observing this year’s Eid-el-Kabir prayers at the Central Eid Ground, Gombe, Friday morning.
The two raka’at congregational prayer, which marked the beginning of the Eid festivities, was led by the Deputy Chief Imam of Gombe Central Mosque, Ustaz Aliyu Hammari.
The Governor participated in the prayers alongside his guest, Mohammed Fall, the UN Envoy in Nigeria, key Government functionaries, traditional rulers as well as other special guests.
This year’s Eid celebration was peacefully marked by a heightened sense of safety and crowd control by the Police, NSCDC as well as other security agencies.
In a move to prevent crowd-related incidents experienced in past celebrations, Governor Inuwa Yahaya directed that worshippers be allowed to exit the Eid ground in an orderly manner before his own departure.
The new measures taken, attracted wide commendation as some worshipers described it as a demonstration of leadership and concern for public safety.
Following the prayer, Governor Inuwa Yahaya hosted a modest Sallah reception at the Government House Banquet Hall with the visiting UN official and top Government functionaries in attendance.
The Governor used the occasion to express gratitude to Allah for the opportunity to witness another Eid and extended best wishes to the people of Gombe and Muslims worldwide.
Governor Inuwa had earlier in a goodwill message, felicitated with the Muslim Ummah in Gombe State and across the globe on the occasion of Eid-el-Kabir, urging them to embrace the virtues of sacrifice, obedience, and tolerance which define the essence of the festival.
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