Coronavirus: Yahaya Bello lifts ban on religious gatherings, lists conditions

- Governor Yahaya Bello has lifted the ban placed on religious congregations in Kogi state

- The Kogi state governor said the move is to allow religious bodies to have their normal worship and services

- The governor, however, listed some preventive measures the religious leaders must put in place to avoid COVID-19 spread

The governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello, has lifted the ban placed on religious congregations in the state over the coronavirus pandemic with immediate effect.

Governor Bello's move, according to Kingsley Fanwo, the state's commissioner for information and communication, is to allow religious bodies to have their normal worship and services.

The governor, however, we urged the religious leaders in the state to put in place important preventive measures.

Legit.ng gathers that the religious leaders were directed to provide sanitizers for all worshippers at the entrance of churches and mosques.

Sitting arrangements in mosques and churches should also comply with the social distancing directive, the governor said.

He also urged the religious leaders to make their services as brief as possible.

The Kogi state's COVID-19 Squadron Committee urged all the religious leaders in the state to continue to pray for the end of the pandemic so that the world can return to normal life and activities.

Legit.ng notes that Kogi state is one of the Nigerian states that have not recorded any confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Nigeria's total confirmed COVID-19 cases in 17 states, including the FCT, stand at 276 at the time of this report.

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In a similar development, the Katsina state government has also lifted the ban on Friday prayers in the state with immediate effect.

This was after the state government held a stakeholders' meeting with religious leaders, traditional rulers and security agencies in the state.

In a statement signed by the secretary to the state government, Mustapha Inuwa, the government said the Imams were admonished to avoid prolonged sermons in order to discharge their followers within a short period.

Inuwa said before Friday prayers must be conducted, there would be some stipulated health and security guidelines.

The meeting was convened to review the measures taken by the state government in preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

However, a Nigerian man identified as Badmus Akeem shared the press release on his Twitter account and called out the Katsina state government.

He noted that the grand mosque in Mecca and the prophet's mosque in Medinah have been closed since March 19.

Akeem said the measures were taken to combat the spread of the virus.

He added that even the call to prayer in the mosques include a line asking people to stay at home but the Katsina government lifted their suspension of Jumat.

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Source: Legit.ng