Nigerian Muslims today, Friday June 6, 2025, join the rest of the Muslim Ummah to celebrate yet another Eid al-Adha, a major Muslim festival which falls on the 10th day of Dhul Hijjah, the last month of the Muslim calendar. This Islamic festival commemorates the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim to follow Allah’s command to sacrifice his son Ismail for seeking the Lord’s blessing.

It is a celebration of faith, obedience and remembrance of the profound act of submission by Prophet Ibrahim and his son. So, the festival is marked by special prayers, the slaughtering of animals, and the sharing of meat with family, friends, and the less- privileged.

This celebration transcends religious rituals and speaks to the universal themes of devotion, compassion and communal solidarity. As Muslims celebrate, they should be mindful of the core message of the celebration, which is to submit to the will of Allah and to demonstrate unwavering commitment to the teachings of Islam.

The festival of Eid-al-Adha has a greater message for every Nigerian: the leaders and the led must be ready to fulfil their promises. Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to go ahead with a supreme sacrifice must inspire Muslims to be ready to follow the commands of Allah without compromise. The act of sacrificing an animal and distributing the meat, especially to the needy, reflect the spirits of giving and solidarity that are central to Islamic values.

Nigerians have been caught in a trap of unending suffering since the removal of subsidies. But when it comes to festivities, we defy the spirit of sacrifice and indulge in extravagances. As we call on the government at all levels to make life more bearable for the citizens, we also urge Nigerians to stop exploiting one another in the name of celebration.

This untoward attitude, which is a direct negation of the spirit of sacrifice, is most broadly reflected in the behaviour of our current crop of political leaders. They have created two worlds – one for themselves where lavish living is the order of the day despite our crushing economic woes, and the other for the citizenry who are left to bear the brunt of draconian economic policies.

Coming at a time when Muslims dominate almost every branch of government at the federal level, this does not reflect the spirit of Eid-al- Adha. The sacrifice that needs to be made in order to rebuild our economy must be shared between the leaders and the people. Otherwise, it is oppression of the people by those they elected to lead. This is unacceptable.

We call for vigilance during the Sallah holidays. Evil people, the sources of our insecurity, could take advantage of the festivities to strike. The security, law enforcement and emergency services as well as the general citizenry should be prepared for any exigencies.