The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has warned against reopening mosques amid rising cases of the coronavirus disease in Nigeria.

MURIC Director, Ishaq Akintola, stated this in a statement issued on Monday.

Borno and Gombe are among states which have relaxed the ban on religious gatherings, granting permission to mosques and churches to reopen, though with strict guidelines on physical distancing and maintaining proper hygiene.

MURIC, however, said:

“We must be on the side of caution regarding this dangerous virus whose cure has not been found. Muslims should not rush to their graves.

“We suggest that mosques should remain closed until the Federal Government (FG) declares the country safe from the pandemic.

“Reopening mosques at this time can be interpreted as withdrawing from the battlefield and leaving the rest of the country to face the fight alone. It may also be interpreted as disobedience to FG’s restriction on crowding.”

The group urged the governments of Borno, Gombe and Zamfara states to reconsider the decision to allow mosques to reopen, saying the fundamental right to life should not be violated by a “hasty yet wrongful policy decision”.

“We remind the three states that the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) had advised Muslims against congregations until further notice.

“We, therefore, suggest that the leadership of the Nigerian Muslim community, namely, the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the NSCIA should be consulted before the decision to reopen mosques can be implemented,” it stated.