Varsity Approves Equal Religious Access, To Reshape Muslim Leadership

The management of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, has withdrawn the land earlier allocated to the Tijjaniyya Muslim Students Association of Nigeria (TIMSAN) at the Gubi Campus for the construction of a mosque.

The university also announced plans to restructure its religious administration by ensuring that all Islamic sects within the institution are represented in both the Shura Council and the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN) leadership.

The director of Information and Public Relations, Alhaji Zailani Bappa, disclosed this during a press conference at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Bauchi yesterday.   The briefing addressed the controversy surrounding the allocation of land to the TIMSAN chapter of ATBU for the construction of a mosque.

The controversy followed the resignation of the university’s Chief Imam, Prof. Mansur Isa Yelwa, and his deputy on Friday, 26 June 2026. The clerics stepped down in protest against the university’s decision to allocate a 100-by-50 plot of land to TIMSAN to build a mosque for its religious activities.

But our Correspondent gathered that Mansur has resumed his duties as chief Imam after reversing his decision to resign.

LEADERSHIP reports that ATBU had earlier said it had allocated land to TIMSAN to enable the association to build a mosque for religious activities, including Wazifa, in line with the constitutional right of individuals to practise their religion freely.

Bappa said the announcement of the resignation during Friday congregational prayers quickly went viral, attracting widespread reactions across the country and beyond, while raising serious security concerns within the university and other tertiary institutions.

He explained that the university management considered it necessary to clarify the circumstances surrounding the land allocation, noting that the decision was prompted by the Shura Council’s refusal to allow TIMSAN members to conduct their religious activities in the university’s central mosque.

According to him, the ensuing tension prompted the Department of State Services (DSS) to convene a stakeholders’ meeting to seek a peaceful resolution.

He said the meeting, held on Tuesday, 30 June 2026, at the DSS headquarters in Bauchi, was attended by representatives of the university management, the Shura Council, the MSSN ATBU chapter and the TIMSAN ATBU chapter.

Bappa said the stakeholders resolved that all Islamic sects within the university should henceforth be allowed to conduct their religious activities at designated times in the university mosques.

He added that the meeting also resolved that the university management would assume responsibility for appointing the Chief Imam and his deputies, while ensuring that the university’s rules and regulations govern all religious activities on campus.

He commended the DSS for its timely intervention and commitment to restoring peace.

“The management of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University wishes to commend the leadership of the DSS in Bauchi for its timely intervention and assures all stakeholders of effective implementation of the resolutions to ensure lasting peace and harmony on our campuses,” Bappa said.

He further stated that all the resolutions reached at the meeting were jointly agreed to and signed by all the stakeholders.

The director also confirmed that the university’s management will soon announce further decisions regarding the leadership of the university mosque and other Muslim-related matters aimed at strengthening peace, unity and stability within the institution.