AMIN sponsors 53 Nigerian Imams for training in Morocco

In order to counter extremism and radicalisation of Muslims in Nigeria, the Assembly of Muslims in Nigeria (AMIN) has sent 53 Nigerian Imams (clerics) for training in Morocco.

This is contained in a statement by Dr. Kamal Ali, Administrative Secretary of the Assembly under the Chairmanship of Sheikh Ibrahim Saleh Alhussaini, Chairman of Fatwa Committees of both Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI).

AMIN said the training was sequel to letter of request written by Sheikh Saleh to the King of Morocco, to sponsor the training of some Nigerian Imams at King Muhammad the Sixth Institute for Training of Imams and Women Preachers in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco.

Following the granting of AMIN’s request by the King of Morocco, the Assembly said it engaged in continuous consultations with various Muslim leaders and groups across the nation to select the Imams from different parts of the country.

Ali said that the 53 Imams, who were the first batch beneficiaries, were drawn from 15 states of the country.

He listed the 15 beneficiary states from the first batch as Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Kwara, Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, Kano, Sokoto, Zamfara, Bauchi, Yobe, Borno, Adamawa and Taraba States.

The Assembly said that the Imams arrived in Morocco on January 20 and 22 respectively and started the courses at different levels.

“The content of the courses are based on the Sunni school of Law, which teaches and preaches the moderate Islam to counter the wide spread phenomenon of radicalisation and extremism,’’ it stated.

Ali, however, said that the levels of the trainees and duration of the courses varied from a minimum of three months to maximum of two years respectively.