By Junior Otabono
Another group known as “Yanlabaiku” which is also preaching against Western education has cropped up at Gwadangwaji, the outskirts of Birnin Kebbi, capital of Kebbi State.
Kebbi is said to be one of the strongholds of Islamic sect, Boko Haram whose mission is also to discourage western and female education.
The new group at the moment has about 100 followers, mostly youths.
Yanlabaiku lays claim to Islam and is conducting public preaching, meetings and processions though no violent activity has been attributed to it.
The group’s members are also called ‘Yanlokoloko’ which is one of the names of one of its leaders, Ismaila Lokoloko, who is assisted by one Bala Amadu.
The group is said to be opposed to one of the major teachings of the Islamic religion – the five daily prayers – as it allegedly preaches against offering them as Islam dictates.
Members of the group, which is said to have a slogan that puts belief in their Sheikh above God, are also said to willingly surrender their wives to spend the night with their important visitors especially scholars from the group.
Vanguard reports that the group’s leaders were part of the group that was based in Niger State before it was disbanded by government.
Some of the present leaders relocated to Borno and Yobe states while others relocated to Niger Republic where they might have had direct contact with the Boko Haram.
“You might have noticed that their criticism of the five daily prayers which is a compulsory act in Islam is synonymous with the teachings of the sect sacked from Niger State, while the Boko Haram is known to oppose Western education. The issue of sharing their wives with their scholars is a known practice by some sects in the early 70s,” a source told newsmen on Wednesday.
Some residents that spoke to newsmen on condition of anonymity, said, “the group used to converge at Malam Labarasi’s residence in Gwadangwaji. Most of us don’t pray in their mosque. We did not pay much attention to them because until we started seeing journalists and other people coming to ask questions, we never knew them.”
However, the former imam of the community mosque, Muhammadu Danmaihure, told newsmen that the group is not an annex of the violent Boko Haram sect.
According to him, “I have also heard of such allegations which I believe are being peddled by people who are opposed to the sects ideology. One can say anything if he is opposed to your religious ideology,” he said.
“I was born and brought up in Gwadangwaji village over 45 years ago and we have been praying five times daily and it is according to Islamic injunction, We have no connection direct or indirect with Boko Haran group up to the time of my resignation as imam,” he stated.
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