**Calls for Monument in His Memory
The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday held an emotional special session to honour the late Islamic scholar and global Tijaniyya leader, Sheikh Tahir Usman Bauchi, who passed away on 27 November 2025. Senators described him as one of Nigeria’s greatest moral voices and a rare unifier across faiths and communities.
Senator Buba Umar (Bauchi South) moved the motion, announcing Sheikh Tahir’s death and recounting the life of the 98-year-old cleric. Born in 1927 in Nafada, now Gombe State, Sheikh Tahir memorised the Qur’an at 19 and rose to global prominence as a master of Qur’anic recitation and interpretation. For over seven decades, he dedicated himself to teaching, mentoring, and mediating peace.
Hailing from a distinguished Fulani scholarly lineage, Sheikh Tahir trained under leading Islamic teachers, including the Senegalese spiritual leader Sheikh Ibrahim Niass. His encyclopedic knowledge earned him reverence across West Africa, with many describing him as a “professor of Qur’anic sciences.”
Senators from across party and regional lines paid tribute. Senator Babangida Hussaini (Jigawa Northwest) called him “a fountain of knowledge and a statesman in his own right,” while Senator Adamu Aliero described his passing as “a monumental loss to Nigeria and the global Tijaniyya family,” praising his lifelong commitment to peace, moderation, and unity across Islamic sects.
Senator Mohammed Sani Musa (Niger East) noted that Sheikh Tahir “devoted his entire life to promoting harmony and shaping upright generations,” adding that “whenever he appeared, you immediately knew you were in the presence of a man of God.” Senator Goje recalled the unprecedented crowd at the scholar’s funeral in Bauchi, highlighting Sheikh Tahir’s humility, discipline, and the fact that nearly all of his more than 80 children had memorised the Qur’an before age 15.
In his concluding remarks, Senate President Godswill Akpabio described Sheikh Tahir as “a bridge-builder who united Muslims and Christians, a humanitarian who cared for thousands, and a moral compass whose absence will be deeply felt.” He announced that the Senate would observe a one-minute silence, dispatch a high-level delegation to condole with the Bauchi State government, and urged both federal and state authorities to name a public institution or monument in the cleric’s honour.
The Senate delegation, led by the President, was scheduled to depart later the same day to convey the official condolences.
