Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, ATBU, Bauchi, has inaugurated an advisory committee to guide the implementation of resolutions reached with various Islamic groups on the conduct of Muslim students’ activities in campus mosques.
The committee, chaired by former Vice-Chancellor Professor Saminu Abdurrahman Ibrahim, was set up following a peace meeting convened by the Department of State Services, DSS, in Bauchi.
The move comes after the Chief Imam of ATBU, Professor Mansur Isa Yelwa, and his deputy abruptly resigned on Friday, June 26, 2026. Their resignation followed the university management’s decision to allocate a 100×50 plot of land to the Tijjaniyya Muslims Students Association of Nigeria, TIMSAN, to build a mosque for their religious rites.
According to Professor Yelwa, the decision and its public announcement during Friday prayers “went viral across local, national and international boundaries.”
“It generated serious uproar and, indeed, significant security concerns, not only for the ATBU community, but for other universities and tertiary institutions across the country, with visible actions that transcended the influence of the ATBU boundaries,” he said.
Worried by the situation, the DSS in Bauchi invited all stakeholders to a peace meeting at its state headquarters. The meeting was attended by representatives of the university management, the university’s Shura Council, the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria, MSSN, ATBU Chapter, and TIMSAN, ATBU Chapter.
Five key resolutions were reached:
- All Islamic groups in ATBU shall be allowed to conduct religious activities at specified times within the university mosques.
- Islamic groups on campus have been granted permission to use the Central Mosque at Yelwa campus for all religious activities, aside from the five daily prayers.
- The land earlier allocated to TIMSAN at Gubi campus shall be withdrawn.
- The leadership of both the Shura Council and MSSN shall be restructured to accommodate all existing Muslim groups in the university.
- The university shall be responsible for appointing the Chief Imam and his deputies for the university mosque, and all religious activities within the university shall be governed by extant university rules and regulations.
“These resolutions were agreed to and signed by all the stakeholders listed above,” a statement noted.
Committee Given July 16 Deadline
Inaugurating the committee, ATBU Vice-Chancellor Professor Ibrahim Garba said its mandate is to advise management on the best modalities for implementing the five resolutions reached at the DSS office.
The committee is expected to submit its report by July 16, 2026.
Until then, the Vice-Chancellor said, Muslims on campus are permitted to observe only the five daily prayers and Jumu’ah prayers in university mosques. All other religious activities remain suspended until the committee submits its report.
He appealed for patience, understanding, and cooperation from all stakeholders “in the interest of peace and harmony” to enable the university to implement the resolutions.
Professor Garba commended the DSS in Bauchi for its timely intervention and assured stakeholders of the university’s commitment to the “judicious supervision” of the resolutions and the maintenance of peace on campus.
Responding, committee chairman Professor Saminu Abdurrahman Ibrahim thanked the university management for the confidence reposed in the committee. He pledged that members would carry out the assignment “with dedication and fear of Allah in order to succeed.”
