Residents of Basirka in Gwaram LGA turn to prayer as prolonged dry spell leaves maize and millet farms withering
Residents of Basirka community in Gwaram Local Government Area of Jigawa State have held a three-day special prayer for rainfall following a prolonged dry spell that has left farmlands withering.
The special prayer, known as Salatul Istisqa, began on Saturday and continued through Sunday and Monday, with residents also observing a voluntary fast on Monday as they sought divine intervention for rainfall.
Hundreds of residents gathered at the Eid ground in Basirka for the prayer, including farmers, Islamic clerics, elderly men and women, youths and residents from neighbouring villages.
The development comes amid concerns over unusual rainfall patterns in parts of the country, with late onset and intermittent rainfall affecting farming activities in several northern communities.
While some parts of southern Nigeria have experienced heavy rainfall and flooding, farmers in Jigawa and other parts of the North have continued to express concerns over poor rainfall distribution, particularly because many rural communities depend heavily on rain-fed agriculture.
Leading the two-rak’ah special prayer on Monday, the Chief Imam of Basirka, Sheikh Sanunu Basirka, urged residents to seek forgiveness, repent and return to God.
He said the prayer had been observed over three consecutive days as the community sought Allah’s intervention to end the dry spell and bless the land with abundant rainfall.
Sheikh Sanunu also urged residents to intensify prayers, give charity and desist from actions believed to attract divine displeasure.
The prayer attracted men, women and children, who gathered under the scorching sun with their hands raised in supplication for divine mercy.
A 65-year-old farmer, Ibrahim Musa Dankoli, said the prolonged absence of adequate rainfall was already affecting his maize and millet farms.
He expressed concern that the crops were drying up, leaving farmers with little option but to seek divine intervention.
Another resident, Haruna Aliyu Basirka, said farmers in the area were increasingly anxious because the dry spell had occurred in the middle of the farming season.
According to him, the community decided to come together in prayer and seek Allah’s mercy over the situation.
A youth leader in Basirka, Malam Sulaiman Adamu Basirka, said the community organised the prayer after noticing changes in the weather and the impact of the poor rainfall on agriculture.
He said the community, comprising the old and young, men and women, came together to pray for beneficial rainfall that would save their farms and provide water for livestock.
The situation highlights the vulnerability of farming communities that rely predominantly on rainfall for agricultural production and their livelihoods.
