Cleric Urges Nigerians to Amend Their Ways, Reflect on Inevitability of Death
…As Former Nasarawa Speaker Balarabe, Assembly Majority Leader Azara, Others Attend Three-Day Prayer for Late Asma’u Omadefu in Keana
By Yahaya Idris
An Islamic cleric and Deputy Chief Imam of Keana Central Mosque, Mallam Idris Ahmed, has called on Nigerians to always maintain a good relationship with God and fellow human beings, stressing that death remains inevitable and can come at any time.
Mallam Ahmed made the call during the three-day prayer session held in honour of late Asma’u Adamu Omadefu, younger sister of Hon. Muhammed Adamu Omadefu, member representing Keana Constituency in the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, on Sunday in Keana Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
The cleric urged Nigerians to remain conscious of the certainty of death and to live righteous lives at all times, noting that life is transient and unpredictable.
While leading the prayer session, Mallam Ahmed prayed for Allah’s mercy upon the deceased, asking God to forgive her shortcomings and grant her Aljannatul Firdaus as her eternal abode. He also prayed for strength and comfort for the bereaved family.
He reminded the congregation that every soul shall taste death, emphasizing the need for all believers to fear God and live according to His commandments. He cited several verses from the Holy Qur’an and Hadith to reinforce his message.
The prayer session was attended by the immediate past Speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi, who described the deceased as a caring and loving sister, a virtuous mother, and a pillar of support within her family.
Balarabe urged the family to accept her passing as the will of God and to continue praying for the peaceful repose of her soul.
He prayed for Allah to comfort Hon. Omadefu and the entire family, forgive the deceased, and reward her good deeds with paradise.
“We are in Keana this morning to participate in the three-day prayer of our sister, who was also the sister of our friend and brother, Hon. Omadefu. We are here to share in the family’s pain. Indeed, it is a great loss. I know how caring she was, but it was Allah’s will. May Allah forgive her and bless her soul. I pray for the family and for all she left behind—may Allah protect and preserve them,” Balarabe said.
Also speaking, the Majority Leader of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Hon. Suleiman Yakubu Azara, commiserated with Hon. Omadefu over the painful loss of his sister and urged him and the family to take solace in God.
Azara further prayed that the pains and suffering the deceased endured during her prolonged illness would serve as a source of divine mercy and forgiveness from her Creator.
In his remarks, Hon. Muhammed Adamu Omadefu, elder brother of the deceased, expressed gratitude to Rt. Hon. Balarabe Abdullahi, Hon. Azara, his colleagues, religious leaders, and all sympathizers who stood by the family during their moment of grief.
The three-day prayer also attracted notable personalities, including the member representing Obi I Constituency in the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Dr. Ibrahim Peter Akwe, and the Special Adviser to Governor Abdullahi Sule on Legislative Liaison, Barr. Muhammed Ibrahim Alkali, among other serving and former government officials, politicians, friends, and associates.
The gathering featured a complete recitation of the Holy Qur’an as sympathizers thronged the Omadefu family residence in Keana to offer condolences and prayers for the peaceful repose of the deceased.
