The late Grand Leader of the Tijjaniya Order in Nigeria, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, was on Friday laid to rest at his mosque in Unguwar Jaki, Bauchi metropolis, Bauchi State, amid an outpouring of grief from followers, top government officials, and Islamic scholars from across Africa.
The revered cleric died on Thursday morning at the Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, after a protracted illness. He was 98.
Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, a towering figure in Islamic scholarship, left behind about 80 children and many grandchildren. For decades, he was celebrated globally for his unwavering commitment to the propagation of Islam, the Tijjaniya movement and for graduating hundreds of thousands of Qur’an memorisers through his expansive network of Qur’anic schools.
In line with his will, his funeral prayer was conducted at the Bauchi Eid Ground and led by respected Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ibrahim Saleh Al-Hussaini, on Friday.
In his sermon, Al-Hussaini urged Tijjaniya adherents to uphold humility, fear of Allah, and mutual respect, qualities he described as the hallmark of the late Sheikh Dahiru’s life.
He said the cleric’s death had created a vacuum that “no one can fill,” but maintained that his teachings would remain a guiding light for millions.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who attended the burial alongside governors of Bauchi, Kano and Niger States, condoled the family and prayed for Allah’s mercy upon the late scholar.
He described Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi’s life as a model of leadership rooted in peace, tolerance, and inter-religious harmony, adding that the impact of his teachings transcended the Tijjaniya community.
Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, also prayed for the repose of the late Sheikh, describing him as one of the greatest spiritual assets the state has ever produced.
The governor said Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi symbolised moral discipline, piety, and compassion, values that shaped generations of Muslims within and outside Nigeria.
Other dignitaries present included the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano; Governor Umar Bago of Niger; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; Borno State deputy governor, Umar Kadafur; Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar; chairman of Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Sen. Shehu Buba Umar; Sen. Abdulaziz Yari; former Bauchi State governor, Ahmed Mu’azu; and former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (rtd).
The funeral also drew delegations of Tijjaniya movement leaders from Morocco, Mauritania, Cameroon, Niger Republic, Benin Republic and Chad, underscoring Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi’s profound influence across the African Muslim world. His burial marked the end of an era, but his teachings, scholars said, will echo for generations to come.
