The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, has instructed the Muslim Ummah to watch for the crescent of Dhul-Hijjah 1445 AH beginning Thursday.
Abubakar made the request in a statement signed on Wednesday by Prof. Sambo Janaidu, Chairman of the Sultanate Council’s Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs in Sokoto.
He stated that “this is to inform the Muslim Ummah that Thursday, June 6, which is equivalent to the 29th day of Dhul-Qidah 1445 AH, shall be the day to look for the new moon of Dhul-Hijjah 1445 AH.
“Muslims are, therefore, requested to start looking for the new moon of Dhul-Hijjah on Thursday and report its sighting to the nearest district or village head for onward communication to the Sultan.”
The Sultan prayed to Allah to continue to help Muslims carry out their religious duties.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Dhul-Hijjah, the 12th and final month of the Islamic calendar, is one of Islam’s four sacred months, during which Muslims around the world make pilgrimage (Hajj) and celebrate the Eid-El-Kabir celebration.
During the month, Muslim pilgrims from all over the world gather in Mecca to undertake Hajj, which begins on the ninth, and to celebrate Eid-El-Kabir, which runs from the tenth to the thirteenth of Dhul-Hijjah.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
