Bauchi State was enveloped in sombre reflection on Thursday as Governor Bala Mohammed announced Friday, 28 November, as a work-free day in honour of the revered Islamic scholar, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, whose death marks the end of an era in northern spiritual leadership.
The distinguished cleric, aged 102, passed on Wednesday night at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, before his remains were transferred to his family residence along Gombe Road, where thousands of mourners have already begun gathering. Funeral prayers are expected to hold today in line with Islamic rites.
Governor Mohammed, in a message conveyed through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mukhtar Gidado, positioned the public holiday as a strategic gesture to mobilise citizens, especially civil servants, students and his vast community of followers, to participate fully in the final rites.
He described the late scholar as a towering figure whose influence transcended generations, noting that his work in Qur’anic education, spiritual guidance and peace-building represented a stabilising force across Nigeria and beyond.
“Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi’s legacy is emblematic of our shared values—discipline, unity and devotion,” the governor said, urging residents to offer prayers for the repose of his soul while extending empathy to his family and disciples navigating the loss.
