The Katsina Emirate Council has suspended the royal Eid-el-Kabir festivity, popularly known as ‘Durbar’, which is billed to hold on Saturday.
The durbar festival dates back to hundreds of years and involves the display of horse riding skills by districts and nobility households, who pay homage to the Emir on Eid day, known in Katsina as `Hawan Daushe’.
The emir on his part leads a contingent of members of the Emirate Council, district and village heads in a procession of horses, known as `Hawan Bariki’, to pay homage to the state governor, a day after the Eid.
The Emir, Abdulmumini Kabir-Usman in a statement by the Council’s Assistant Secretary, Sule Mamman-Dee on Tuesday, said the suspension was due to the current security situation in the state.
Kabir-Usman expressed deep concern over the security situation in parts of the emirate, saying he would only attend the Eid prayers on Saturday.
He advised Muslims to continue to pray for the return of peace to the state and country in general.
Similarly, the Emir has directed all the district heads in the emirate to perform their Eid-El Kabir prayers in their domains.
