Responses to Information Requests

​​​​​​​Responses to Information Requests (RIRs) are research reports on country conditions. They are requested by IRB decision-makers.

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Responses to Information Requests (RIRs) cite publicly accessible information available at the time of publication and within time constraints. A list of references and additional sources consulted are included in each RIR. Sources cited are considered the most current information available as of the date of the RIR.            

RIRs are not, and do not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Rather, they are intended to support the refugee determination process. More information on the methodology used by the Research Directorate can be found here.          

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31 October 2012

NGA104214.E

Nigeria: Whether mosques communicate with each other, particularly regarding fatwas; if so, the formal and informal means of communication

Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa

Information on communication between mosques in Nigeria was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

In 6 October 2012 correspondence with the Research Directorate, a representative of Amuwo Odofin Muslim Community Central Mosque in Lagos provided the following information. Nigerian mosques share information with each other but not regarding fatwas. Additionally, it is rare for any mosque in western Nigeria to issue fatwas. Most information is shared through informal means, such as text messages, phone calls, leaflets, posters, and radio and television ads. The only country-wide information sharing relates to the moon sighting for the month of Ramadan. Corroborating or further information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Amuwo Odofin Muslim Community Central Mosque. 6 October 2012. Correspondence sent to the Research Directorate by a representative.

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Representatives of the Nigerian Canadian Muslim Association were unable to provide information for this Response. Attempts to contact representatives of the following organizations were unsuccessful: Muslim Association of Nigeria UK, National Council of Nigerian Muslim Organizations in the USA, Nigeria Supreme Council for the Islamic Affairs, and 13 mosques and 6 Islamic centres in Lagos and Kano.

Internet sites, including: AllAfrica, Amnesty International, British Broadcasting Corporation, Daily Independent, Daily Trust, Factiva, Guardian News, Human Rights Watch, Islam Care Centre, Islamic Finder, National Council of Nigerian Muslim Organizations in the USA, National Mirror, Nigeria Muslims Network, Nigerian Canadian Muslim Association, Ottawa Mosque, The Punch, This Day, United States Department of State.

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