Emir of Ilorin appoints 42-year-old Al-Azhar alumnus, Sheikh Dasuki, as new Chief Imam

By Bukola Hameed

The Ilorin Emirate has entered a historic new chapter following the official appointment of forty-two-year-old Islamic scholar, Sheikh Muhammad Bashir Dasuki Imam Fulani, as the new Chief Imam of Ilorin.

The highly anticipated announcement was made by the Emir of Ilorin, His Royal Highness Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, following a rigorous screening and selection process that involved several prominent Islamic scholars within the ancient city.

According to an official statement released on Wednesday night by the Emir’s Personal Assistant, Dr. Abdulraheem Muritala, Sheikh Dasuki emerged as the successful candidate after a thorough evaluation of the contenders.

This pivotal appointment comes nearly five months after the transition of the immediate past Chief Imam, Sheikh Muhammad Bashir Saliu, also affectionately known as Bashir Fulani. The late cleric, who spent over four decades on the revered religious stool and served as the leader of the Kwara State Council of Ulama, passed away on January 19, 2026, at the age of seventy-five. His death was widely mourned across Nigeria, drawing profound tributes from government officials, academic institutions, and religious leaders who described his passing as the end of an era.

The newly appointed spiritual leader brings a blend of youth, profound academic scholarship, and deep ancestral roots to the office. Sheikh Dasuki hails from a lineage intricately woven into the religious history of the Ilorin Emirate. He is a grandson of the eighth Chief Imam Fulani of Ilorin, Sheikh Ibrahim Dasuki Imam Fulani Agaka, and is a close relative of the tenth Chief Imam, Sheikh Maliki bn Dasuki Agaka.

Academically, the new Chief Imam possesses a formidable background in Islamic jurisprudence. He traveled to Cairo, Egypt, to study at the prestigious Al-Azhar University, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Islamic Shari’ah in 2014. In addition to his international training, he holds a Diploma in Arabic and Islamic Education from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and is currently advancing his academic credentials as a Master’s degree student in Islamic Studies at Al-Hikmah University in Ilorin.

Before his elevation to this prominent position, Sheikh Dasuki was already a highly respected and active figure in the spiritual and educational landscape of Kwara State. He is the founder and proprietor of the Darul Bisharah Arabic and Islamic Studies in the Egbejila area of Ilorin. He also served as the resident Imam of the Afsat Oloriegbe Memorial Mosque in Oko Olowo, where he regularly led daily prayers and delivered Friday Jumu’ah sermons.

Furthermore, he contributed to academic development as a lecturer at the Darul Kitab College of Arabic and Islamic Studies in Gaa Akanbi, and became a familiar voice to thousands of residents through his seasonal Islamic teachings on Radio Kwara under the auspices of the Al-Bisharah Islamic Foundation’s Ramadan programme.

In his concluding remarks on the appointment, the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, offered prayers for the new spiritual leader, asking that Almighty Allah grant him divine guidance, wisdom, and sound health for a successful and peaceful reign in service to Islam and the people of the Ilorin Emirate.