President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has mourned the revered Bauchi-based cleric, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, who died Thursday, at the age of 101.
The president described him as a moral compass who dedicated his life to teaching and preaching, saying his loss was monumental not only to his family and teeming followers, but also to the nation.
The president recalled the blessings and moral support he received from the late cleric in the run-up to the 2023 election.
“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,” the president said.
The president condoled with the Sheikh’s followers across the country and beyond for the irreparable loss.
He also urged them to immortalise the late cleric by holding on to his teachings of peaceful coexistence, strengthening their relationship with God and being kind to humanity.
…Shettima, Akpabio, Sultan mourn
Also in his own tributes, Vice President Kashim Shettima expressed sadness over the demise.
In a condolence message Thursday, Vice President Shettima said “Sheikh Dahiru’s extraordinary longevity was a divine blessing that allowed multiple generations of Nigerian Muslims to benefit from his knowledge, wisdom and spiritual guidance.”
The vice president described the late Muslim cleric as one of Nigeria’s greatest Islamic scholars whose teachings and exemplary life touched millions of Muslims across the country and beyond.
“We have lost a spiritual guide, a teacher, and a moral compass whose dedication to Islamic scholarship spanned more than a century. Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi was among the great pillars of Islamic knowledge in our time. His life was a demonstration of faith, learning, and service to Allah and humanity,” he said.
Shettima praised the late Islamic scholar’s lifelong commitment to spreading Islamic knowledge and his pivotal role in strengthening the Tijaniyyah Brotherhood in Nigeria and West Africa.
“We find comfort in knowing he lived a long, fulfilled life devoted to Allah and to uplifting humanity. His legacy of scholarship and service will continue to inspire us all.
“I pray that Almighty Allah will forgive his shortcomings and grant him Aljannatul Firdaus. May Allah also grant his family, the Tijaniyya Brotherhood, and the entire Muslim Ummah the fortitude to bear this loss,” he said.
Also in a condolence message, Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the deceased as an epitome of Islamic scholarship and an embodiment of Islamic intellectual history.
“On behalf of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, my family and constituents, I wish to extend my deepest condolences to the government and people of Bauchi State, as well as the Islamic Ummah and the family of the late renowned Islamic scholar and supreme leader of the Tijaniyyah Movement, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, OFR.
“He was a committed Moslem and a custodian of the teachings of the Islamic faith. Indeed, his contributions to Islamic scholarship and leadership in the Tijaniyya Movement in Nigeria have left an indelible mark,” Akpabio said in a statement by his media adviser, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh,.
He noted that late Sheikh Bauchi “would be mostly remembered for his positive influence on the Islamic jurisprudence and spiritual enrichment of the religion.”
“May Allah grant Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi’s soul eternal peace and grant his family and the Muslim community the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.”
Also in another condolence message, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, said Sheik Bauchi was a great loss not only to his family but entire Muslims in the country.
The Sultan made the remark Thursday at the graduation ceremony of 432 Qur’anic memorisers in Kaura Namoda, the headquarters of Kaura Namoda local government area of Zamfara state.
He stated further that the late Sheik Bauchi left a vacuum that would be difficult to fill.
The monarch described him as an Islamic scholar who spent his lifetime for the propagation of Islamic education and religion in the country.
Sultan Abubakar consoled the deceased scholar’s family, Bauchi state government and the entire Tijaniyyah sect members across the country over the loss, and prayed to Allah to forgive all his shortcomings and grant his gentle soul eternal rest.
… Bauchi gov too
In a similar message, Bauchi state Governor Bala Mohammed described the cleric as a “towering figure in Islamic scholarship, a man of deep faith, humility, and wisdom.”
According to Mohammed, “his lifetime was devoted to the propagation of Islam, the teaching of the Holy Qur’an, and the moral and spiritual upliftment of humanity. Through his numerous schools and learning centres, he nurtured thousands of students who went on to memorise the Qur’an and spread Islamic knowledge across the African continent.”
He said the late Sheikh’s “immense contributions to theology, Islamic jurisprudence, and history have left an indelible mark on the intellectual and spiritual landscape of the society.
“He was not only a custodian of religious knowledge but also a unifying voice for peace, tolerance, and understanding among Muslims and people of other faiths.
“As we mourn this monumental loss, we take solace in the fact that Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi lived a life fully dedicated to the service of Allah, humanity, and knowledge. His legacy will continue to illuminate the path of generations to come.”
…His demise
Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi passed on at the age 101 in the early morning of Thursday, 27 November, 2025.
A highly respected scholar known for his profound understanding of the Quran and Islamic jurisprudence, he dedicated his life to teaching of both the theoretical and practical aspects of Islam, emphasising piety, knowledge, and a disciplined approach to faith.
Sheikh Bauchi’s contributions to Islamic scholarship and education have been widely celebrated.
He began his Islamic education under the tutelage of his father, Alhaji Usman where he memorised the Holy Qur’an at the age of 19, and continued his studies under numerous Islamic scholars both within and outside Nigeria, with Sheikh Ibrahim Inyass being his most influential teacher.
Sheikh’s profound knowledge led to his recognition as a professor of Qur’anic memorisation and education, and was so honoured as one of the world’s translators of the Holy Qur’an.
Sheikh Bauchi commenced his translation in Bauchi State in 1948, dedicating 77 years to translating the Holy Qur’an.
His teaching broadcasts began on Bauchi Radio Corporation in 1976, and later on Radio Nigeria Kaduna in 1980.
However, numerous radio stations across northern Nigeria air his teachings, especially during Ramadan and beyond.
…Family life
Bauchi was blessed with a large family comprising 100 children, 406 grandchildren, and 100 great-grandchildren.
Sheikh Bauchi’s legacy of Qur’an memorisation continues, as 78 of his children, over 199 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren are also teachers of the Holy Book, balancing both Islamic and western education.
