- Safiu Kehinde
Vice President Kashim Shettima has on Friday joined other notable northern leaders to attend the funeral of renowned Islamic scholar, Sheikh Dahiru Usman-Bauchi.
Shettima had alongside the likes of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, joined other Northern leaders in Bauchi state for the funeral prayer for the deceased cleric.
NPO Reported that Usman-Bauchi passed away at the age of 101 in the early hours of Thursday at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi.
While confirming his death, the family of the renowned Islamic scholar had announced that he will be buried in in line with Islamic rites.
Ahead of the burial, the Bauchi state government had declared Friday a work-free day to enable public and private sector workers, students and residents of the state, to participate in the funeral prayer and pay their last respect to the late scholar.
Meanwhile, also in attendance at the funeral prayer were northern governors including Umaru Bago (Niger State), Abdulrahman Abdulrazak (Kwara State), and Abba Yusuf Kano State) amongst others.
A video shared on X by Atiku showed moment the northern leaders gathered together to render their prayer for the deceased cleric under the watchful eyes of a mammoth crowd.
Atiku in a statement attached to the video described the late Usman-Bauchi as an Islamic cleric with a remarkable record of service to humanity.
His demise, according to the former Vice President marks the end of decades-long positive impact from teaching, mentoring, and touching lives.
Atiku thereafter expressed his condolences with the Muslim Ummah and the government and people of Bauchi State over what he described as immeasurable loss.
The statement read; “It was with a heavy heart that I led a delegation to join other distinguished leaders and a multitude of sympathisers in Bauchi today, to perform the funeral prayers for the late Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, who passed on Thursday.
“We bid farewell to an Islamic cleric with a remarkable record of service to humanity.
“The Sheikh was a globally renowned spiritual leader who left a legacy of Islamic scholarship, predicated on integrity and peace-building, in Nigeria in particular and on the African continent in general.
“He is on record as having dedicated nearly 70 years of his life to consistently delivering annual Ramadan Tafsir and offering deep insights on the Holy Qur’an.
“I have known him closely and have taken counsel from his wealth of wisdom over the years. This no doubt marks the end of decades-long positive impact from teaching, mentoring, and touching lives.
“But I don’t have any doubt that he is survived by some of his offspring who shall carry on with his legacy.
“I condole with the Muslim Ummah and the government and people of Bauchi State over this immeasurable loss.
“May the Almighty Allah grant his family, the Tijjaniyya sect, the fortitude to bear the loss, forgive his shortcomings, and grant him Jannatul Firdaus.”