• Christian community mourns νGovt to probe incident
From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
It is a general belief among Islamic faithful that if a building collapses on someone and the person dies, the person will go to heaven directly, particularly when such an incident happens while the person is praying to God.
If that is the case, the 10 worshippers that died when a 150-year old mosque collapsed on them last Friday in Zaria, Kaduna State, must have made heaven immediately, resting in the bosom of God.
The collapsed mosque, the Zaria Central Mosque, is believed to have been constructed in the 1830s, which for decades was open to Muslims from all parts of the world.
Nevertheless, various sympathisers have expressed sadness and shock over the incident, praying to God to grant the deceased eternal rest and their families strength to bear the irreparable loss.
At the time the worship centre collapsed on Friday, August 11, 2023 by 4pm, the death toll was four persons and seven injured victims, but before 8pm on the fateful day, the death tolls had risen to 10 persons and 30 injured.
A survivor, Mallam Shehu Nagari, said the incident happened when they were in the second Sujud of Asr prayer. He said all of a sudden the affected portion of the mosque collapsed on the those sitting directly under it.
He said all he knew was that affected people were covered by mud because the section was built with mud which had been existing for over 150 years.
Curiously, the Emir of Zazzau, Kaduna State, Mallam Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, in whose domain the ugly incident occured said: “We had earlier observed a crack on the wall of the mosque and we were planning to deploy a team of civil engineers to effect repairs, when this unfortunate incident happened.”
While condoling the family of the deceased, the Emir directed that people should pray outside the mosque pending the repairs. He had directed funeral prayer for all the deceased at 8.30pm same Friday at his palace.
Meanwhile, Governor Uba Sani through his Chief Press Secretary, Mohammed Lawal Shehu, said he received with shock and sadness the news of the collapse of the iZaria Central Mosque and loss of lives and injuries to some of the worshippers.
Uba Sani expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and prayed for Allah’s divine healing and recovery of all those injured in the unfortunate incident.
The governor had within a short time dispatched a team of senior government officials led by Balarabe Abbas Lawal, the Secretary to the State Government, to assess the situation on ground and attend the Islamic funeral rites of the deceased.
He promised that the state government would order an immediate investigation into the cause of the unfortunate incident and urged citizens of the state to offer prayers for the repose of the souls of the departed.
Similarly, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Abbas Tajudeen, described the collapse of part of the mosque, which led to the death of some persons, as disheartening and devastating.
Abbas, who represents Zaria Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, said he received the news of the unfortunate incident with shock, noting that he was pained by the death and injury of his constituents in the mishap.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Abdullahi Krishi, the Speaker said his “heart bleeds” as a result of the incident, noting that it was the most heartrending news he received in recent times.
The Speaker who expressed sadness and sorrow over the losses at this critical period, also prayed for the repose of the souls of those who lost their lives.
He said: “My heart bleeds over the unfortunate incident that happened at the Zaria Central Mosque on Friday, August 11, 2023 during the Asr prayer, when parts of the mosque collapsed, leading to the death of some of my constituents.
“It is disheartening and devastating that people who went to worship Allah lost their lives in that manner. I pray that Allah (SWT) will grant them eternal rest and reward them with Jannatul Firdaus.
“My thoughts and prayers are with their families and those that sustained injuries during the incident.
“I send my heartfelt condolences to the Emir of Zazzau, Amb. Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, my constituents – the people of Zaria – and indeed the entire people of Kaduna State as well as the Kaduna State Government over the unfortunate incident.
“I pray that Allah (SWT) gives the families of those that lost their lives the fortitude to bear the losses and for the quick recovery of those that sustained injuries during the incident.”
The Speaker also urged the relevant authorities in Kaduna State to investigate the circumstances that led to the incident with a view to forestalling future occurrence anywhere in the state.
Also, the General Overseer of Christ Evangelical and Life Intervention Ministry, Pastor Yohanna Buru, has extended condolences to Muslim Ummah in Northern Nigeria following Zaria Central Mosque tragedy.
Pastor Buru expressed heartfelt sympathy to the Muslim community in northern Nigeria, invoking divine blessings upon those who lost their lives in the unfortunate incident.
“May their souls find eternal peace, and may God’s mercy welcome them to paradise.
“As Christians, we extend our deepest sympathies to Muslims across Nigeria who are affected by the Zaria mosque collapse,” he said.
Buru added that he had personally conveyed messages of condolences to his friends who are Islamic scholars, underscoring the importance of unity and shared prayers for lasting peace in the nation.
