Kano State’s Shura Council has suspended a prominent cleric, Sheikh Lawal Triumph, from preaching following a series of petitions over controversial remarks he made during sermons, officials said on Wednesday.
The Council said the suspension will remain in place until Triumph appears before a committee set up to review the allegations.
“Following the resolution reached by the council to invite Sheikh Lawal Triumph to defend himself, the council has set up a committee to invite him,” Council Secretary Shehu Sagagi told reporters after the body’s second meeting.
Sagagi said the council had reviewed petitions, counter-petitions and video recordings of Triumph’s sermons. The cleric is expected to be summoned shortly to explain himself before the panel.
He stressed that the process would be transparent. “No individual or group will influence the council’s decision,” he said, promising that the outcome would be made public.
The controversy surrounding Triumph has stirred debate in Nigeria’s conservative north, where Islamic clerics wield significant influence. The state government last week referred complaints against the preacher to the Shura Council for review.
Sagagi also warned politicians and religious leaders to avoid remarks that could damage their reputations.