Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Friday joined thousands of mourners in Bauchi for the funeral prayer of the renowned Islamic scholar and leader of the Tijjaniyya sect in sub-Saharan Africa, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, who died on Thursday.
Atiku, who led a delegation, described the late cleric as “a spiritual colossus whose life was devoted to the service of Allah and humanity.”
“It was with a heavy heart that I joined other distinguished leaders and sympathisers in Bauchi today to bid farewell to an Islamic scholar of global renown,” Atiku said in a statement on his X handle on Friday, shortly after the Janaza prayer held at the Bauchi Central Eid Ground.
“Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi dedicated nearly seventy years of his life to the annual Ramadan Tafsir, offering profound insights into the Holy Qur’an and shaping generations of Muslims across Nigeria and the African continent,” Atiku added.
Atiku spoke warmly of his personal relationship with the late scholar, saying “I have known him closely and have benefited immensely from his wealth of wisdom over the years. His counsel was always rooted in sincerity, peace, and deep knowledge.”
Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, members of the National Assembly, traditional rulers, Islamic scholars from West Africa, and leaders of various Sufi orders were among the dignitaries who paid their last respects.
In his tribute, Atiku noted that while the death of Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi marks the end of decades of direct positive impact through teaching and mentoring, the cleric’s legacy will live on through his children and students.
“I have no doubt that some of his offspring and disciples will continue to carry the torch of knowledge, integrity, and peace-building that he exemplified throughout his life,” he said.
Atiku extended condolences to the Tijjaniyya movement, the government and people of Bauchi State, and the entire Muslim Ummah over what he described as “an immeasurable loss.”
“May Almighty Allah forgive his shortcomings, accept his good deeds, grant him the highest rank of Jannatul Firdaus, and give his family and followers the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss,” Atiku prayed.
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