Tinubu, govs, others mourn as renowned Bauchi Islamic cleric buried
Thousands of mourners, on Friday thronged the Games Village Eid Ground in Bauchi to pay their last respect to a renowned Islamic scholar and Chief Imam of Dutsen Tanshi Jumaat Mosque, Dr Idris Abdulaziz, who passed away on Thursday after a prolonged illness. The cleric, popularly known as Dr Abdulaziz Dutsen Tanshi, died at his […]
funeral prayer of islamic scholar, dr idris abdulaziz dutsen tanshi in bauchi state, yesterday
Thousands of mourners, on Friday thronged the Games Village Eid Ground in Bauchi to pay their last respect to a renowned Islamic scholar and Chief Imam of Dutsen Tanshi Jumaat Mosque, Dr Idris Abdulaziz, who passed away on Thursday after a prolonged illness.
The cleric, popularly known as Dr Abdulaziz Dutsen Tanshi, died at his residence in Bauchi following a battle with an undisclosed illness. He had sought treatment in Egypt and Saudi Arabia before his demise.
His funeral drew an unprecedented crowd, including Islamic scholars, politicians, his students, family members and sympathisers from Bauchi and neighbouring states.
Jummat sermons across Bauchi, particularly in mosques under Jama’atu Izalatul Bid’ah Wa Iqamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS), focused on the cleric’s virtues, describing his death as a monumental loss. At the JIBWIS Masjid Nabawi, along Jos Road, Sheikh Q. Mukhtar Muhammad Aliyu extolled Dr Abdulaziz’s decades of contributions to Islamic education and societal reformation.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu also joined in mourning the respected scholar. In a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu noted that he was deeply saddened by the news, describing the late cleric as a moral voice and defender of Islamic values, especially in countering extremism in the early days of Boko Haram insurgency.
“The Muslim faithful will greatly miss the cleric’s trenchant voice calling for moral rectitude and probity,” the president stated, while praying for the repose of his soul and urging his family and followers to take solace in his impactful legacy.
Similarly, the chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, expressed deep sorrow over the cleric’s passing. In a condolence message issued by his spokesman, Ismaila Uba Misilli, Yahaya described Dr Abdulaziz as “a respected preacher whose immense contributions to Islamic scholarship and nurturing a society rooted in faith remain invaluable.”
He added that the loss was not only for the people of Bauchi but the entire Muslim Ummah across northern Nigeria. On behalf of the 19 northern governors, Yahaya prayed for Allah’s mercy upon the deceased and strength for his family and followers to bear the loss.
Dr Abdulaziz, aged 68, was known for his fearless sermons, often critical of government’s policies, especially on issues of governance and corruption.
The late scholar is survived by his wives, children, students and thousands of admirers across the Muslim world.