One of Nigeria’s most influential Islamic scholars, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, has died at the age of 102, family members and associates have confirmed to Explorer English.
The revered leader of the Tijjaniyya Sufi order passed away in the early hours of Thursday at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital in Bauchi, after a prolonged illness.
Sheikh Dahiru, who was born in 1927 in Gombe State, had been receiving visitors at his residence the previous evening before being taken to hospital, according to a family spokesman.
News of his death was shared widely on social media and confirmed by his son, Sayyadi Ali Dahiru Usman Bauchi, as well as former presidential aide Bashir Ahmad, who described him as a “revered leader” whose passing was met with “complete submission to the will of Allah”.
A recipient of Nigeria’s Order of the Federal Republic (OFR), Sheikh Dahiru dedicated his life to Islamic scholarship, studying under prominent teachers and becoming a key figure in promoting moral discipline, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
As supreme leader of the Tijjaniyya in Nigeria a major Sufi brotherhood he mentored generations of scholars and played a pivotal role in community development, earning respect across the country and beyond for his emphasis on unity and adherence to Islamic principles.
His funeral prayer is expected to be held on Friday in Bauchi, in line with Islamic rites. He is survived by an estimated 61 children.
Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed led tributes, calling the scholar a “towering figure” whose life of “faith, humility and wisdom” had shaped Islamic learning in Nigeria.
The governor said the state was in mourning but found solace in Sheikh Dahiru’s fulfilled legacy of service to God and humanity.
The death has prompted an outpouring of condolences from political and religious leaders, with many hailing it as a “monumental loss” to the Muslim world.