Imam Abubakar Abdullahi, the Nigerian cleric internationally acclaimed for his heroic actions during sectarian violence, has passed away at age 90. His son confirmed to BBC Hausa that Abdullahi died Thursday night while receiving hospital treatment for a heart condition.
The imam earned global recognition for his courageous intervention during the 2018 Plateau state violence in central Nigeria. When armed attackers targeted predominantly Christian communities, Abdullahi witnessed terrified families fleeing toward his Muslim-majority village and made the instantaneous decision to provide sanctuary.
Defying grave personal risk, the religious leader sheltered 262 people across his personal residence and mosque. When the armed assailants—suspected to be Muslim cattle herders—demanded he surrender those seeking refuge, Abdullahi refused without hesitation. Instead, he and other Muslim community members employed emotional appeals, weeping and pleading until the attackers eventually withdrew, though not before burning two nearby churches.
This act of bravery occurred within the broader context of Nigeria’s persistent farmer-herder conflicts, primarily between Muslim Fulani herders and Christian Berom farmers competing over land and grazing rights. The violence continues to plague the central region, with US officials previously criticizing Nigeria’s protection of religious minorities—a claim Nigerian authorities contest.
Abdullahi’s moral conviction was summarized in his own words: ‘God created mankind differently, but he wants us to live together in peace and harmony, and not harm each other.’
His legacy received significant official recognition, including one of Nigeria’s highest national honors from then-President Muhammadu Buhari in 2022 and the International Religious Freedom Award from the US State Department in 2019. Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang described Abdullahi’s passing as a ‘monumental loss,’ praising his ‘unwavering commitment to peace, unity, and the protection of the vulnerable.’