16-year-old orphan wins National Qur’an recitation competition

A16-year-old orphan, Zainab Mahmud, from Adamawa State, has emerged winner in the female category at the 33rd National Qur’an Recitation Competition held in Gombe.

Tijjani Muhammad Gwani from Yobe State emerged as the overall winner in the male category.

Announcing the results yesterday at the closing of the competition, the national coordinator of the competition, Dr Abubakar Yalwa said the winners competed for the memorization of the whole Holy Qur’an with Tajweed and Tafsir.

A total of 377 participants from 33 states and Abuja participated in the competition in six categories, which lasted from December 27, 2018 to yesterday.

The winners were crowned and decorated with royal regalia, as tradition of the competition demanded, by the Emir of Gombe Alhaji Abubakar Shehu Abubakar III who represented the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III.

They also went home with new cars and the sum of N500,000 each from Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo and will be sponsored to perform the 2019 Hajj exercise courtesy by the governors of their respective states.

The Governor also announced a gift of N1 million to Basira Ahmad, an eight-yearold from Edo State who also competed in memorizing the whole Qur’an with Tajweed.

President Muhammadu Buhari represented by the Minister of Environment, Sulaiman Hassan Zarma, said his administration will maintain the culture of the competition to promote unity, religious tolerance and peace in the country.