Fact-Check: Did the Sultan of Sokoto Announce That the Shawwal 1446 Crescent Moon Was Not Sighted in Nigeria?

BY: Mustapha Lawal 

Claim

The Sultan of Sokoto Announced that the Shawwal 1446 Crescent Moon Was Not Sighted in Nigeria

Verdict

MISLEADING. The claim that the Sultan of Sokoto officially declared that the Shawwal crescent was not sighted in Nigeria lacks verified evidence. No authentic official statement from NSCIA or the Sultan supports this claim

Full Text

A statement attributed to the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and signed by its Secretary-General, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, claims that the crescent moon for Shawwal 1446 was not sighted in Nigeria, thereby making Monday, March 31, 2025, the day for Eid Al-Fitr instead of Sunday, March 30, 2025. 

This claim has been widely reported by major media outlets, including Punch (source) and Daily Post (source).

Verification

1. No Official NSCIA Statement Found
   FactCheckAfrica thorough search of the official NSCIA website (NSCIA.com.ng) and its official social media pages yielded no such statement confirming that the moon had not been sighted. There is no official communication from the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, or the NSCIA confirming or denying the sighting at the time the claim went viral.

2. Further verification shows that the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), through its Secretary-General, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, issued an official statement around 5 PM Nigeria time on Saturday, March 29, 2025. The statement, shared via the NSCIA’s verified X (formerly Twitter) account (source), directed the Nigerian Muslim Ummah to commence the search for the crescent moon of Shawwal 1446 A.H. immediately after sunset. 

This contradicts viral claims that the Sultan had already declared that the moon was not sighted, as the official statement simply urged Muslims to observe the moon sighting process in accordance with Islamic tradition.

3. Debunked by a National Moon Sighting Committee Member
   A member of Nigeria’s National Moonsighting Committee, Simwal, publicly refuted the claim via his verified X (formerly Twitter) account. He stated:
   
   “Kindly ignore the false rumors circulating that His Eminence the Sultan has declared the Shawwal crescent was not seen in Nigeria. I just spoke with members of our committee at the palace, and they are still gathering reports.”
   
   The original post debunking the claim can be found here. This statement contradicts media reports claiming that an official declaration had been made.
   
   
4. Saudi Arabia Announced Moon Sighting
   Saudi Arabia, whose moon sighting committee follows global Islamic crescent sighting protocols, officially announced that the crescent moon had been sighted, making Eid Al-Fitr fall on Sunday, March 30, 2025.

Given that Saudi Arabia is two hours ahead of Nigeria, their announcement could influence Nigeria’s decision, but does not dictate it—as Nigerian Islamic authorities conduct independent moon sighting verification.

Conclusion 

The claim that the Sultan of Sokoto officially declared that the Shawwal crescent was not sighted in Nigeria lacks verified evidence. No authentic official statement from NSCIA or the Sultan supports this claim. Furthermore, a member of the National Moon Sighting Committee has denied it, confirming that moon sighting reports were still being gathered when the claim circulated.

While Saudi Arabia has confirmed sighting the moon, Nigeria’s decision is based on independent verification, and at the time of the claim, no official verdict had been announced. Thus, the reports circulating online cannot be confirmed as factual.