Crisis rocks Masaba domain shortly after cleric’s death

There appears to be crisis rocking the Halihumat Nabiya Islamic Organisation, in Bida Local Government of Niger State, founded by the late polygamist and controversial Islamic cleric, Mallam Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Bello Masaba, who passed on last Saturday at the age of 93 years after a brief illness.

Indication to this effect emerged on Monday, 30th January, 2017, after the emergence of Alhaji Mutairu Salaudeen Bello, the personal assistant to the deceased cleric – who was survived by over 130 wives, and no fewer than 205 children – as the acting spiritual leader of the Islamic sect, shortly before the three-day Fidau prayers for the repose of the soul of the late Islamic cleric, held at the cleric’s two-storey building at Bida, in Bida Local Government Area of the state.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that mantle of leadership fell on Salaudeen Bello, a Yoruba man from one of the states in South-Western Nigeria, ostensibly as a result of his perceived closeness to the late Mallam Masaba, and the adoption of his late boss as his father.

Salaudeen is also believed to wield a lot of influence within the organisation, within and outside the country, as well as over the Masaba family, prior to the demise of the cleric.

A source within the family, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, in a brief interview with Nigerian Tribune during the week, said the respect Salaudeen Bello commanded both among family members and members of the organisation, was huge.

However, some of the issues that are likely to count against him at the commencement of the struggle for leadership of the sect, include the fact that he has limited education, whereas there are groups of followers within the organisation that are more educated, both in the Western and Islamic tutelage, and with whom the incumbent acting spiritual leader had no wherewithal to contest the leadership.

Nigerian Tribune was further informed that if Bello could harness the influence and manage his present status, he may emerge as the substantive leader of the group. However, the sudden death of Masaba was said to be capable of causing more trouble not only for his children and retinue of wives, but also for his large followership, as he was said to have passed on without a written will or any documented details for succession.

An insider source told our reporter that the tussle for leadership would be two-phased. There would also be the issue of tribe eligibility, in view of the fact that majority of the followers of the deceased Islamic cleric are Yorubas, while the late founder of the sect was Nupe by tribe and from Bida, Niger State.

Throughout the life time of the late Pa Muhammed Abubakar Bello Masaba, he was said to have always preached to his congregation, most often in Yoruba language, after which the message would be translated to both Nupe and Hausa languages.

Masaba was also believed to have began his career as an Islamic cleric somewhere in Lagos State from where he relocated to Bida, his home town, some years ago and while in Lagos, he was said to have started his business as a transporter by investing heavily in the acquisition of commuter buses known as Molue in those days, long  before the introduction of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and other modern forms of transportation in the city.

Speaking with Nigerian Tribune, the acting spiritual leader, Alhaji Mutairu Salaudeen Bello, said the mood within the family was joyful, as he stated that Mallam Mohammed Abubakar Bello Masaba was not dead.

“Although we miss his absence physically, he is still with us spiritually. He prepared us very well for a time like this. Coping with life after him has been easy because Allah has been our strength. All the children and wives are doing well and all of them are in high spirits,” Bello stated, while expressing the belief that Allah, through the spirit of the late cleric, would guide the family and the followers left behind by his late boss.

Speaking further, he committed both the family and the followership into the hands of God for clear direction as they mourned the departed soul of the late Masaba, stating that “we all want to trust in Allah because He is the only one we can trust and we place our hope in Him for abundant blessings and provision and we believe God will see us through.”

His first daughter, Halima Abubakar Masaba, a 36-year-old HND II student of Business Administration of the Federal Polytechnic, Bida, in an interview with Nigerian Tribune, said nobody expected her father’s sudden departure to the great beyond, even though he had been talking about it.

“In fact, Mallam Muhammad Abubakar Bello Masaba is not dead. He is still here with us and we are very sure he is not dead. He served Allah diligently throughout his life time and he was in the class of the prophets of old like Prophet Mohammed of our time. We are not afraid at all because we are sure Allah will provide  for us and supply our needs, although we are going to miss our father.

“We know that there will be opposition, but I know the stars are not going to let my father down. In view of this I am not moved at all because my father had since prepared us for the enormous task ahead,” Halima, who is married with children stated.

Similarly, the  40-year-old first male child of the late cleric, Mahmood Abuubakar Bello Masaba, said  he was yet to get over the death of his late father following his inability to control his emotions since last Saturday when the cleric passed on as he refused to be consoled.

Mahmud described his father as God-fearing, caring, and someone who gave his all to the promotion of Islam.

“He was a peaceful, loving father and ever caring to his family members and his teeming followers,” said Mahmud.

Similarly, his younger brother, Abubakar Abdulmalik Bello Masaba, a striking image of his late father, who said he was a graduate of one of the nation’s higher institutions, in a brief chat with our reporter, declined to give his exact age, said: “it is beyond me to look like my father. It is Allah’s making,” stating further that his late father had not yet gone, but was still alive with his family members, with whom the late cleric had very cordial relationship.

“He was always advising us to shun crimes and criminality and to live a life of service to God and mankind. We will definitely miss his wise counsel, especially me, because he was my best counsellor,” he stated.

When asked if he was planning to step into the shoes left behind by his late father, he responded by saying that the late Pa Masaba’s shoes were too big for him to fit into.

“However, if it is the will of Allah to step into it, I know God will give me the grace to excel and in that regard I am ever ready if Allah says I will be the leader of my father’s Islamic organisation.

“One unique thing about our late father was that he taught us his children and wives to love one another as well as extend the love to outsiders and we have all imbibed it. We believe that God will continue to guide us even after Baba, as we roundly called him, has gone to be with his Creator,” he said.

Meanwhile, an attempt by our reporter to speak with some of the widows of the deceased cleric was politely rebuffed by the new acting spiritual leader, Mutairu ‘Salaudeen Bello as well as children of the late Masaba, on the ground that they were still mourning the death of their late husband.

Family sources, who did not want to be quoted in print, however disclosed that four of the widows were in advanced stages of their pregnancies.