Thousands present as Imam, who saved 300 Christians during 2018 killings, dies at 92, buried; CAN, Tinubu, others mourn

*”I saved 300 Christians from killers because we are all human beings”, said Islamic cleric in 2018

‘He stood on the side of peace’ – Tinubu, Northern governors, others mourn as heroic

‘A national hero and living proof of Islamic compassion’ – MPAC

‘A moral compass and true face of Islam’ – Ex Minister Pantami

‘One of national peace and unity builder is gone’ – DEFENDER President, AIG Idris

*His passing has left a significant void in Barkin Ladi – Governor Mutfwang

By KEMI KASUMU, OUR REPORTERS Jos, Abuja and Lagos

“His actions transcended religious boundaries and powerfully affirmed that the sanctity of human life is sacred above all else. This singular act of heroism did more than save lives. It reinforced hope, strengthened interfaith harmony, and reminded our nation that peace is possible when conscience, love, and faith guide our actions,” Christian Association of Nigeria said in tribune to the late Islamic hero

Thousands of mourners on Friday January 16, 2026 converged on Nghar village in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State as the community’s Chief Imam Abdullahi Abubakar, the renowned Islamic scholar whose extraordinary courage of saving 300 Christians from killers during the 2018 Plateau crisis earned him national and international acknowledgements and honours, was buried.

Abdullahi Abubakar proved to other faith members that diversity in religion is God’s own design that should not cause problems for their humanity and God honoured in his life time for doing so and, as many prayed, he will also be honoured in heaven.

The selfless act also earned him national and international honours. In recognition of his bravery, the Federal Government conferred on him the national honour of Member of the Order of the Niger (MON), and he was personally commended by then President Muhammadu Buhari. LEADERSHIP Media Group also named him as joint winner of its prestigious annual Personality of the Year Award alongside business mogul, Aliko Dangote.

Imam Abdullahi Abubakar died on Thursday January 15, 2026 at the age of 92.

Abubakar, who was the Chief Imam of Nghar village in Barkin Ladi local Government Area of Plateau State, passed away after a brief illness, according to reports.

The late Islamic cleric rose to prominence following his extraordinary act of courage on June 23, 2018, when armed assailants attacked several communities in Barkin Ladi LGA, leaving dozens dead. Amid the chaos, Abubakar opened the doors of his mosque and home to at least 300 Christians fleeing the violence, refusing to hand them over to the attackers.

“I did it because we are all human beings. My religion teaches me to protect lives, regardless of faith,” the Imam had said in interviews after the incident, explaining that compassion and humanity guided his decision.

In 2019, the United States government also presented him with the International Religious Freedom Award, describing him as “a beacon of peace and interfaith harmony” for risking his life to save others.

The 92-year-old Islamic scholar was laid to rest on January 16, 2026, after Juma’ah prayers, in accordance with Islamic rites at Yelwa, Gindin Akwati, his home community.

Imam Abubakar’s death, after a brief illness, has drawn tributes from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, northern governors, Muslim organisations and prominent scholars, all hailing him as a symbol of peace, interfaith harmony and the sanctity of human life.

The leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on Saturday January 17, 2026 commended the bravery of late Imam Abubakar Abdullahi who saved 262 Christians during a violent massacre in 2018 in Plateau.

CAN hailed Abdullahi for standing firmly on the side of humanity when it mattered most.

While paying tribute to whom it described as an extraordinary religious leader whose life and actions remain a profound testimony to courage, compassion, and our shared humanity, CAN said his death his painful.

A statement by the President of CAN, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, reads: “The late Imam Abubakar Abdullahi will forever be remembered for his rare moral bravery and selflessness at a time of grave danger. By choosing to protect innocent lives at great personal risk, he saved 262 Christians during a violent massacre in 2018.

“His actions transcended religious boundaries and powerfully affirmed that the sanctity of human life is sacred above all else.

“This singular act of heroism did more than save lives. It reinforced hope, strengthened interfaith harmony, and reminded our nation that peace is possible when conscience, love, and faith guide our actions. In a world often divided by suspicion and hatred, the Imam stood as a bridge-builder and a living symbol of what true religion represents.

“It was in recognition of this exceptional service to humanity that CAN honoured him with an award during its Sapphire Anniversary celebrations in 2021. While plaques may fade with time, his legacy will endure as a shining example for religious leaders, communities, and generations to come.

“CAN believes that such courage deserves not only remembrance but amplification. We therefore call for continued honour to his memory, including engagement with his family and broad public recognition of his noble sacrifice, so that his story may inspire unity, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence across our nation.

“As we mourn his passing, we celebrate a life well lived in service to God and humanity. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, his community, and all who were touched by his remarkable example. May his legacy continue to speak where words fall short”.

President Bola Tinubu described the late Imam as an extraordinary religious leader who “stood firmly on the side of peace” at a time when violence and intolerance threatened communal coexistence.

In a condolence message issued by his spokesman, Mr Bayo Onanuga, the President recalled how Imam Abubakar risked his own life in 2018 to protect more than 200 Christians fleeing attacks in Barkin Ladi.

“At such a time when tribal and religious tendencies seemed to overwhelm reason, Imam Abubakar stood firmly on the side of peace, benevolence and conscience,” Tinubu said.

“Mindless of the enormous risk to his own life, the noble cleric chose humanity over division, love as opposed to hatred, and embrace rather than rejection.”

The President noted that the Imam’s actions went beyond sermons, embodying the true essence of faith and earning him local and international honours for peaceful coexistence.

He urged religious and community leaders across the country to emulate the late cleric’s spirit of tolerance, mutual respect and unity.

The Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) also mourned the Imam, describing him as a beacon of moral leadership whose life projected Northern Nigeria as a land of compassion and shared humanity.

In a statement issued by his spokesman, Isma’ila Uba Misilli, the Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, said Imam Abubakar’s actions during the 2018 crisis transcended religious and ethnic boundaries.

“Sheikh Abdullahi Abubakar was an embodiment of peace, courage and selfless leadership,” Yahaya said.

“By sheltering about 200 Christians in his mosque and personal residence, he demonstrated that the protection of human life is paramount and sacred.”

The NSGF chairman extended condolences to the Imam’s family, the Plateau State Government and both Muslim and Christian communities, praying for Allah to grant the deceased Aljannatul Firdaus.

The Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC), Nigeria, described the late Imam as a national hero and a living testament to Islam’s highest moral values.

In a statement, MPAC said Imam Abubakar’s decision to shelter over 300 Christians during the 2018 violence was “faith in action” and a direct expression of Islam’s emphasis on mercy, justice and the sanctity of life.

“At a moment when fear ruled the land, Imam Abubakar chose faith over fear and conscience over convenience,” the organisation said.

MPAC recalled honouring the Muslim scholar with its Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2019, with its Executive Chairman, Alhaji Disu Kamor, noting that such an act was rooted in the rich moral traditions of Islam.

The group urged religious leaders, educators, policymakers and the media to preserve and propagate the Imam’s legacy as a timeless model of peaceful coexistence and nation-building.

Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, described the late Imam as “a moral compass” and a living embodiment of the true teachings of Islam.

In a personally signed tribute, Prof Pantami said Imam Abubakar’s action during the Barkin Ladi crisis remains one of the most profound demonstrations of faith-driven courage in contemporary history.

“At a time when fear and violence threatened to consume reason, the late Imam chose compassion over hatred and conscience over cowardice,” Prof Pantami said.

He stressed that the imam’s insistence on the sanctity of human life reflected the Qur’anic principle that saving one life is akin to saving all of humanity, adding that history would remember him as a global symbol of peace and interfaith harmony.

Imam Abubakar rose to global prominence after the 2018 Plateau attacks, when he opened his mosque and home to Christians fleeing violence, protecting them at great personal risk.

His action earned him several honours, including the Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) award and the United States International Religious Freedom Award. He also emerged one of the finalists of the Nigerian Muslim Personalities of the Year 2018.

As he was laid to rest amid prayers and tears, many mourners said his life remains a powerful reminder that faith, when rightly understood, is a force for unity rather than division.

For many Nigerians, Imam Abubakar’s legacy endures as proof that courage, compassion and humanity can prevail even in the darkest moments.

In the meantime, President of The DEFENDER Newspaper Advisory Board, AIG Mu’azu Idris Hadeija (Rtd), has described Imam Abubakar Abdullahi MON as “A figure of peace, whose life was found on building unity, peaceful coexistence and harmony among peoples of Nigeria.

“At The DEFENDER Newspaper we took him to be a figure that supported the project of peace, unity and development in Nigeria. That was what his spirit, physically saving the lives of no fewer than 300 Christians by shielding them inside his own Mosque and home, showed. May Allah receive, keep admit his soul in Al-Jannah Firdaos,” said the Retired Assistant Inspector General of Police.

Reacting to his passing, Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State described the late cleric as “a symbol of peace, unity and selfless leadership.”

In a condolence message issued on Thursday January 15, 2026, Mutfwang said Imam Abubakar’s commitment to interfaith harmony and protection of the vulnerable earned him the respect of Nigerians and the global community.

“His death is a major loss to his family, community and the state,” the governor said. “His leadership helped build bridges of forgiveness and peaceful coexistence across Plateau.”

Mutfwang added that Abubakar’s passing “has left a significant void in Barkin Ladi,” urging residents to uphold the values of compassion, tolerance, and unity that he embodied.

“On behalf of his family, the government, and the people of Plateau State, I extend my deepest condolences to the family and all those mourning the loss,” the governor said. “May Almighty God grant them comfort and strength to bear this painful loss.”