Lagos community Muslims give N105m zakat to 300 people

The Lekki Muslim Ummah (LEMU) in Lagos State has doled out items and cash worth N105 million to no fewer than 300 beneficiaries.

The money was raised from payers of zakat and sadaqat for distribution to the less privileged to ameliorate their plight.

The Chairman of the Lekki Muslim Zakat and Sadaqat Committee and member of the Board of Trustees of LEMU, Alhaji Olalekan Saliu, commended the zakat givers for their commitment to fulfill one of the five pillars of Islam despite the country’s economic crunch.

He said, “We must thank Allah for making the achievement possible, particularly given the monumental issues and challenges confronting the Nigerian economy.

“We are all living witnesses to the current difficult economic condition characterised by the persistent devaluation of our currency, the naira, which has pushed it to an all-time low against the US dollar and the surging inflation with its attendant rise in the prices of food, medicine, fuel, electricity, transportation, basic commodities, essential daily needs, etc.”

He recalled that the committee received N85m in 2023 but collected N105m in 2024, translating to an increase of about 24 per cent.

He further said, “On behalf of LEMU, I wish to express profound gratitude and deep appreciation to all our zakat givers for their incredible generosity, benevolence, kindness and sincere devotion.

“I am sure they are all happy fulfilling an important religious obligation, the third pillar of Islam for that matter, which helps to deepen their connection with Allah.”

Earlier, the Lekki Central Mosque’s Chief Imam, Sheikh Ridwan Jamiu, during his sermon, harped on the importance of zakat, and appreciated the committee for being accountable.

Sheik Jamiu said, “The committee is really working hard, because in this mosque, when we get the money, we know where the money is going to.”

Daily Trust further reports that a breakdown of the distribution showed that N67.5m went for empowerment, while N1.6m covered medical bills and N2.3m was for staff.