The National Chief Imam of Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society, Imam Fuad Adeyemi, has condemned the five-week closure of schools for the Ramadan fast by some northern state governments, including Bauchi, Katsina, Kano, and Kebbi.

Adeyemi made this statement while appearing as a guest on the Friday edition of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political programme aired on Channels Television.

According to him, the month of Ramadan is a time for Muslims to be serious with God and hardworking.

The cleric stated that the closure of schools for the Ramadan fast does not represent what Islam stands for.

“To me, I see it as political. If you know the history of fasting in Islam, they might say there is heat, but the heat here cannot be as hot as in Saudi Arabia. During fasting, there are many things done that change the way things are approached.

“For example, when Muslims moved from Mecca to Medina, there was a war that the Arabs waged against the Muslims; they said they wanted to exterminate Islam completely. It was a big war. The Arabs brought about 1,000 armed soldiers, but the Muslims were only about 213 in number and lacked military weapons. It was during a fast. They fought and won – the 213 defeated the 1,000,” he said.

There has been widespread criticism over the closure of schools in at least four northern states with predominantly Muslim populations during the Ramadan fasting period.

The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has argued that shutting down schools for five weeks in a region already plagued by high levels of poverty and illiteracy is counterproductive, discriminatory, and a violation of the rights of non-Muslim students in the affected states.

The Christian body also contended that the closure would worsen the educational crisis in the region. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, Nigeria had approximately 18.3 million out-of-school children as of 2024.

Ramadan: Islamic cleric condemns closure of schools in northern states