Vice President Kashim Shettima has charged emerging Islamic scholars across Nigeria and Africa to preserve and propagate the enduring message of tolerance, dialogue, and inclusivity exemplified by the late renowned Islamic cleric, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi.
He specifically said that the late Tijjaniyya leader’s commitment to dialogue and inclusivity represented the true heritage of Islam that must guide future generations.
The Vice President gave the charge on Friday after attending the funeral of the late Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi in Bauchi, Bauchi State, where he described the passage of the cleric as a monumental loss not only to Nigeria but to the global Muslim Ummah.
“This nation has lost a colossus—an institution and one of the last great titans of Islamic scholarship. We call on our emerging scholars to embrace the path of dialogue, moderation, accommodation, and inclusivity, because this is the true heritage of Islam—not fanaticism, not extremism,” VP Shetimma said.
Praying for the repose of the late cleric’s soul, the Vice President, in a statement by his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, said; “May Allah grant his soul eternal rest and reward him with Aljannatul Firdaus. May Allah grant his family and millions of followers the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.”
Also speaking at the burial, the governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed, described Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi as a towering figure whose legacy transformed Islamic education and uplifted countless families.
“He made remarkable contributions to development and established a strong tradition of Qur’anic research and scholarship. He mentored so many people. We have lost a father, a guardian, a teacher, and a colossus,” the governor said.
Similarly, the governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf, described the day as deeply sorrowful, not only for the family of the cleric but for all Nigerians and the entire Muslim Ummah across the world.
Yusuf said Sheikh Bauchi was widely known as an exceptional Islamic scholar who taught Qur’an and Hadith to hundreds of millions of people, especially his family and members of the Tijjaniyya Order.
“May God grant his soul eternal rest and give the nation the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss,” he added.
Also speaking, the governor of Niger State, Mohammed Umar Bago, expressed gratitude to God for the cleric’s life, describing it as well spent. He said the late Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi would be remembered as a distinguished scholar and leader.
