Tributes have continued to pour in from across the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the wider global Muslim community following the passing of the highly respected Islamic scholar, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi. The spiritual leader, renowned internationally for his deep scholarship and lifelong dedication to Islamic education, died in the early hours of Thursday at the age of one hundred and one years.
President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said he received the news of the cleric’s passing “with profound sadness and a deep sense of loss.” In a statement issued on Thursday by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu described Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi as “a moral compass who dedicated his life to teaching and preaching.” okay news reports.
The President further noted that the scholar’s death was “monumental not only to his family and teeming followers but also to the nation,” recalling the “blessings and moral support he received from the late Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi in the run-off to the 2023 election.”
Speaking on the cleric’s legacy, President Tinubu stated, “Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi was a teacher, a father and a voice of moderation and reason. As both a preacher and a notable exegete of the Holy Quran, he was an advocate of peace and piety. His death has created a huge void.”
He urged followers of the late scholar across Nigeria and beyond to honour his memory by continuing to uphold his teachings centred on “peaceful coexistence, strengthening their relationship with God and being kind to humanity.”
In Kaduna State, the Governor, Senator Uba Sani, also expressed deep sorrow, describing the revered scholar as “an extraordinary spiritual guide whose life reflected the highest values of Islam: knowledge, humility, peace, and unity.” The Governor praised the significant impact of the scholar’s teachings, noting that they “shaped generations, strengthened the Tijjaniyya community, and enriched Islamic scholarship across Nigeria and beyond.”
Governor Sani prayed for Allah’s mercy on the departed scholar and asked that the Almighty grant him “Al-Jannatul Firdaus, forgive his shortcomings, and comfort his family, students, and all who drew guidance from his exemplary life.” He added that “his legacy of devotion and service to humanity will continue to illuminate our path.”
Former President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bukola Saraki, also mourned the cleric, describing him as “a colossus of Islamic scholarship and a spiritual father to millions.” Saraki stated that the Sheikh lived “a long, blessed life, spanning a century, spent wholly in the service of his Creator and the propagation of the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah of Prophet Mohammed.”
He emphasised the tremendous influence of the scholar’s religious institutions, saying, “Through his Almajiri schools and famous Tafsir sessions, he ensured that the words of the Almighty were not just recited, but imprinted in the hearts of millions of young people across our nation.”
Saraki extended condolences to the family of the deceased, the Sultan of Sokoto, the people of Bauchi State, adherents of the Tijjaniyya movement, and the broader Muslim Ummah.
