As Muslims faithfuls prepare for the 2018 Eidel Kabir sallah festival where those who can afford to buy ram or sheep or goat or cow or camel can do so and slaughter on the 10th Day of Dhul Hajj every year in compliance and commemoration of the doings and sayings of Holy Prophet Mohammed (SAW) as a symbol of compliance to the command of God Almighty commanded Prophet Ibrahim (AS) to slaughter his only and beloved son, Ismail (AS) as an offer to God Almighty that Prophet Ibrahim obliged.
He laid down his only beloved son and covered his face after sharping his knife, with the acceptance of the only beloved son who also advised his father to obey God and do exactly what God commanded him to do.
Then within a tickle of an eye, God Almighty commanded Angel Gabriel to replace the son, Ismail with a beautiful, white, healthy and big ram for Prophet Ibrahim (AS) to slaughter in place of his only and beloved son in appreciation of his obedience and loyalty to God. So, it became a tradition that every year on the same day, muslins all over the world whether performing pilgrimage or not opportuned to be in Saudia to perform pilgrimage are commanded to make same sacrifice by slaughtering a ram they can afford as Prophet Ibrahim (AS) did which Holy Prophet Mohammed (SAW) also did and taught us how to do it as God commanded but only for those who can afford and no Muslim is allow to borrow money to make such sacrifice.
Meaning, it is not compulsory for every adult Muslim who can afford but voluntary if you can afford and most importantly, it is a necessity to any Muslim that can afford because God Almighty has pledged a ransom reward in heaven for whoever obeyed and imitated the obedience and loyalty of Prophet Ibrahim (AS). That is why every adult Muslim, both men and women struggle to ensure that they get at least a ram or sheep or goat or cow or camel depending on ones ability to slaughter as sacrifice every year in the twelfth (12) Islamic calendar month of Islam in order not to miss the divine reward. But unfortunately, despite the boko Haram insurgency hardships and sufferings, Muslims in Borno state tend to ensure that they do not miss the reward.
As such, go extra length to any where to get one to sacrifice on the Eid day or within the three days after the Eid day as provided for if one can not afford on the 10th of Dhul Hajj. It can be sacrificed the following day or next day and the third day after rhe sallah day. However, due to security. Challenges in the lake chad region where boko Haram insurgents now terrorise residents, farmers, herdsmen and fishermen, the Nigerian military had closed all the borders linking Borno state and its surrounding states where most of these livestock’s were being imported into Nigeria through the Ganboru Ngala, Damasak, Banki and Nguru Machina border towns and areas weekly if not daily in large quantity and at cheaper prices for local consumption and onward transportation down to the other parts of the country and even beyond like Ghana, Togo and Benin Republic among others.
Most especially, the livestock’s are being transported and sold in Lagos axis, Enugu Anambra Abia axis, Port Hart court Edo Benue axis among others apart from other parts of the north like north west, north central and north east. Therefore, with the closure or ban of importation of these livestock’s from the other neighboring. countries of Niger, Chad and Cameroon Republics where these produce are cheap and in large quantity, this years eid el Kabir sallah ram and other livestock’s for the sallah sacrifices have become very stressful and expensive with only the few livestock’s available within the region and those being imported from rhe north central and north west instead of Chad, Niger and Cameroon Republics. Visits to most livestock markets and strategic points where livestock are being sold for the eid el Kabir festival, prices of livestock have seriously sky rocketed or gone high almost double or triple the old prices as at Kasuwan Shanu market Maiduguri a ram of N15,000 last year is this year going for N25,000- N30,000 while a healthy and big ram of N80,000-N100,000 last year is this year going for N200,000-N300,000.
Even at Bukunkutu NEPA side livestock market, the prices were very scaring and make some people yet to buy rams with the hope and high expectation that may be by few days to the eid day, may be the prices may come down as there was no enough money with people according to one Mustapha Kolomi, a civil servant who visited the Bukunkutu market to see whether he can get at least a ram even it is small but sizeable for him to slaughter for his family. Kolomi added that the situation may not be unconnected with the closure of the borders as this year, most of the rams were coming into Maiduguri Borno state from Yobe state and other states within the north instead of from the neighbouring countries of Niger, Chad and Cameroon Republics.
A livestock seller, Isa Ahmed at Kasuwar Shanu said, ” We buy these livestock on high prices and transport them down to Maiduguri in trailer. We have to pay for the transport”. “We also have to pay for the loading and offing loading of the livestock both at where we are buying and here that we are off loading and still we have to pay money at check points on the road, still pay the union people at both the points of buying or loading and selling or off loading here.
” With these expenses and high cost of the rams even cows and goats, definitely, the prices most be very high of we want gain hence we can not go into this business for charity, we have to off set our expenses and put our gains in the prices. “And this is all over the livestock markets that you may go It is not only in Maiduguri. It is a general thing especially, during the eid period where everybody knows that people will rush or come for rams or cows or goats or camels to make sacrifices which is rewarding and a thing that every adult Muslim wants if he or she can afford.
