The management of Abuja National Mosque has recently dismissed rumors circulating on social media regarding the alleged partial demolition of the mosque. These unfounded claims suggested that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesome Wike, had plans to demolish a section of the mosque to make way for road expansion.
A statement released by the management on Thursday urges Nigerians to disregard these reports. The management clarified that during a courtesy visit by the board delegation to the FCT minister on Wednesday, there was no mention of any plans to demolish the mosque.
The statement from the mosque management reads, “It has come to the attention of Abuja National Mosque Management that news circulating on social and print media regarding the purported partial demolition of the National Mosque is creating tension and anxiety amongst the Muslim Ummah in the country and beyond.
“The mosque would like to debunk these rumors and set the record straight:
“His Royal Highness, Etsu Nupe, Chairman of the Abuja National Mosque Management Board, and his delegation paid a courtesy visit to the Honorable Minister of the FCT. The delegation was warmly received, and the discussions were constructive and cordial. The discussions revolved around the following areas of mutual interest:
“Development of Plot 99: The minister was briefed on the serious attention given to the development of this plot. The project design has already received approval from the development control department of FCDA.
“Development of Plot 63 – Opposite Yar’adua Center: The chairman informed the minister that a significant portion of plot 63 had been affected by the proposed inner Northern Expressway.
“The chairman requested information on the current status of the plot and also proposed reallocating the remaining part of the plot to the mosque while providing appropriate replacement for the lost portion. The Honorable Minister responded positively to this request.
“Renovation of the Mosque: The chairman took the opportunity to appeal to the Honorable Minister to utilize his good offices to complete the rehabilitation and renovation of the National Mosque. The Honorable Minister expressed willingness to address this matter.”
The management of Abuja National Mosque emphasised that the demolition of any part of the mosque was never mentioned during the meeting between the board chairman and the Honorable Minister. They have urged the public to ignore the social and print media campaigns and to completely disregard the false news currently being circulated.
