President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday joined other Muslim faithful to observe the two raka’at Juma’at prayer following the reopening of the Aso Villa Mosque in Abuja.

Only few Muslim faithful were admitted into the Mosque in line with the directive and guideline of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on public gathering.

The Federal Capital Territory Administration had earlier issued statement on guidelines for the reopening of places of worships in the six Area Councils.

Those in attendance, were not only tested but sanitised against the deadly Coronavirus disease as part of measures to keep the Presidential Villa free of the virus.

The protocol of social distancing was also strictly observed in line with guidelines on public gathering, and only senior staff of the Villa were allowed to attend the prayer session.

The President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, who spoke to State House correspondents at the end of the prayer session, said it was duty bound on the president to show the public the way to observe the prescribed protocols while performing prays during partial lockdown.

He also confirmed that the Aso Villa Mosque was re-opened for Juma’at prayer for the first time today (Friday).

“It is now 12 weeks in the State House that this Mosque had not opened for the Juma’at prayer.

“The President as a citizen himself, but beyond that as a leader of the people, he has a duty to show the Nigerian public the way to observe the prescribed protocols as they exist in the Federal Capital Territory.

“I think this is what the president had done, going through the checks, who is going into the Mosque; and then they sanitize their hands; and then they keep social distance inside (Mosque).

“So, all of it is to show Nigerians this is the way and that is the responsibility of leadership”