Kaduna emir pulls down 188-year-old mosque amid nostalgia

Emir of Zazzau, Mallam Ahmed Bamalli, has said the decision to demolish 188-year-old Mallam Abdulkarim Central Mosque, Zaria was a painful one. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the royal father disclosed this during the groundbreaking for reconstruction of the mosque in Zaria, yesterday.

Bamalli said though the decision was not made lightly, the emirate had no option but to toe the line, as the safety of lives remains the top priority of the council.

“Your well-being and security have always been at the forefront of our thoughts and actions,” the emir said.  Bamalli lauded the Kaduna State government for supporting victims of the 2023 mosque collapse via compensation for houses consumed by the expansion of the project, among other initiatives.

He also lauded the record N2 billion donation by Alhaji Abdussamad Isyaka-Rabi’u through the ASR Africa and BUA Group.

The monarch noted that the historic mosque, built in the 1830s, had served as a beacon of faith, community engagement and resilience.

Earlier, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Tajudeen Abbas, said the collapsed facility was one of the biggest and largest historical heritages of technology in the country.

Abbas, who is also the member representing Zaria Federal Constituency and a traditional title holder of “Iyan Zazzau,” said the rebuilding has about an 18-month completion period.

In his remarks, Governor Uba Sani reiterated the state government’s continued commitment to ensuring prompt completion of the project. NAN recalled that on August 11, 2023, the 188-year-old mosque collapsed while hundreds of worshippers were observing afternoon prayers, killing seven faithful, and injuring several others.