In a move aimed at upholding religious decorum and moral discipline, the Muslim Council of Taraba State has officially prohibited all forms of wedding parties in Jalingo city. The prohibition specifically targets “Kauyawa Day” and “Ajo” festivities—traditional villagers’ days known for youths dressing in tattered attire and dancing late into the night under the guise of marital celebrations
Chief Imam Tajudeen Nuhu of the Mayo Gwoi Jummat Mosque, speaking on behalf of the Council, decreed, “Henceforth, it is forbidden for any household to hold ‘Kauyawa’, ‘Ajo’, or any form of celebration during weddings here in Jalingo”
The consequences for defying the ban are severe. Any Muslim household that breaches the directive will be denied critical religious rites: no imam will conduct the Nikah (marriage contract), funeral prayers (Salat al-Janazah) will not be performed, and Islamic scholars will be barred from delivering wedding lectures or attending naming ceremonies in their homes
Clerics themselves have not been left out of the disciplinary measures. Any imam or religious figure found to officiate or participate in such banned celebrations risks removal from their position by the Council
This decision—and the firm tone of last Friday’s sermons across all Jummat mosques in Jalingo—reflects the Council’s broader effort to foster godliness, order, and self-restraint in the Muslim community
. Muslims in Jalingo have been urged to comply fully with the new directive, which the Council says is for the collective spiritual welfare of the community
