Zamfara Chief Imam resigns, goes into hiding after criticising Governor Lawal

The cleric conveyed his resignation in a letter he sent to the mosque's management on Friday, November 26, 2023. The development followed the backlash he received for criticising the state governor, Dauda Lawal.

The Chief Imam appeared in a viral video, where he was seen condemning Lawal and praising the immediate past governor of the state and the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle.

The controversial video clip generated mixed reactions among the political elites and religious communities in the state. The issue became more complex because the mosque that the Sheikh led was renovated by the incumbent governor.

In the letter to the mosque’s management committee, he said he decided to resign to ensure the safety and security of the mosque and its community.

Meanwhile, two days after he threw in the towel, the Muslim cleric has now gone into hiding, citing security reasons.

Speaking to Sunday Punch on the phone, Jangebe said he's left Zamfara State to douse the tension generated by his comments in the viral video clip.

“I am not in Zamfara State at the moment. I decided to leave the state for security reasons and also to let the matter die down naturally,” he told the paper.

The Imam added, “You are aware that some people are not happy with what I have said in that video clip, as such, I decided to resign from my position as Chief Imam and also leave the state.”

The cleric is not strange to controversy as he had previously resigned from his appointment as Commissioner of Religious Affairs in the administration of Matawalle, citing the governor's alleged non-performance.