Akpabio, Gov Bago, Northern Christians, others mourn Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi

Nigeria has been thrown into mourning following the death of globally respected Islamic scholar and spiritual leader of the Tijjaniyya movement, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, who passed away on Thursday morning. Tributes have continued to pour in from across religious, political, and regional lines, highlighting his immense impact on Islamic scholarship, peacebuilding, and national unity.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has sent heartfelt condolences to the people and government of Bauchi State, as well as to the Islamic Ummah and the family of the late renowned Islamic scholar, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi.

Akpabio, in a condolence message signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, and made available to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday, described the deceased as an epitome of Islamic scholarship and an embodiment of Islamic intellectual history.

“On behalf of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, my family, and my constituents, I wish to extend my deepest condolences to the government and people of Bauchi State, as well as the Islamic Ummah and the family of the late renowned Islamic scholar and supreme leader of the Tijaniyyah Movement, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi.

“He was a committed Muslim and a custodian of the teachings of the Islamic faith. Indeed, his contributions to Islamic scholarship and leadership in the Tijaniyyah Movement in Nigeria have left an indelible mark,” Akpabio said.

He noted that the late Sheikh Bauchi “will be remembered for his positive influence on Islamic jurisprudence and the spiritual enrichment of the religion.”

“May Allah grant Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi’s soul eternal peace and grant his family and the Muslim community the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss,” the Senate President said.

In a condolence message issued through his Chief Press Secretary, Bologi Ibrahim, Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago described the death of Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi as a great loss not only to the Tijjaniyya group but to the entire Muslim ummah worldwide. The governor extended heartfelt sympathies to the government and people of Bauchi State, the deceased’s family, and all members of the Tijjaniyya order.

Governor Bago hailed the late Sheikh as a revered cleric of immense integrity, widely respected within and beyond Nigeria. He noted Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi’s lifelong commitment to propagating Islam through spiritual guidance, scholarships, and dedicated teaching. “The deceased was a great man by all standards,” he said. “He lived a long life of service and left behind a legacy of deep religious influence worthy of emulation.”

He prayed for Allah to grant him Aljanna Firdausi and to give the family and the Muslim faithful the fortitude to bear the loss.

Similarly, former Kaduna State Governor, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, described the Sheikh’s passing as a monumental loss. In a personally signed statement, Makarfi reflected on the scholar’s long, productive life devoted entirely to the work of Allah. He highlighted Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi’s leadership of the Tijjaniyya order, his decades-long annual Qur’anic exegesis in Kaduna since 1980, and his establishment and funding of hundreds of Qur’anic schools across Nigeria.

Makarfi also recalled the Sheikh’s vital role as a moderating voice for peaceful coexistence and unity, saying, “He transcended being just a man of his family; he was an institution and a spiritual guide who inspired millions.” He added that the Sheikh’s counsel during his own tenure as governor between 1999 and 2007 remained invaluable and unforgettable.

In an extraordinary display of interfaith solidarity, Christian leaders in Northern Nigeria also joined in mourning the late Islamic luminary. Pastor Dr. Yohanna Buru, General Overseer of Christ Evangelical and Life Intervention Ministry, together with other prominent clerics — Pastor George John, Reverend Maxwell Sanda, Pastor Joel Aziz, and Evangelist David Abaya — extended condolences to the Sheikh’s family and the global Muslim community.

Pastor Buru described Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi’s death as “a great loss to the nation,” commending his lifelong dedication to peace-building, religious tolerance, and unity. He also extended sympathies to the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Sa’ad, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Islamic scholars nationwide. He prayed that Almighty God grants the late scholar Aljannatul Firdaus and grants comfort to all who mourn him.

Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, revered across Africa and beyond, leaves behind a legacy of profound spiritual influence, cross-religious respect, and unwavering commitment to the propagation of Islamic knowledge and peaceful coexistence.