The Muslim Public Affairs Centre ,MPAC, Nigeria, has called on religious leaders, educators, media organisations, and policymakers to uphold and promote Imam Abdullahi Abubakar’ legacy as a model of peaceful coexistence and nation-building.
The late Imam, was Plateau State cleric who was widely celebrated for saving more than 300 lives during the 2018 communal violence in Barkin Ladi local government council of Plateau state.
He also gained national and international recognition after he sheltered hundreds of Christians fleeing deadly attacks at the height of the crisis.
At great personal risk, he was said to have opened his mosque and private residence to the displaced victims, protecting them for weeks until the violence subsided, the action which earned him Nigeria’s Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2019.
In a statement issued on Friday, MPAC described the late imam as a national hero whose life exemplified courage, compassion, and moral leadership.
The organisation said his actions were rooted in Islamic teachings that emphasise the sanctity of human life, justice, and mercy.
Reacting to the cleric’s heroism at the time, MPAC Executive Chairman, Alhaji Disu Kamor, in his statement, said Imam Abubakar’s conduct reflected a long standing Islamic tradition of protecting the innocent regardless of faith or background.
“Only those unfamiliar with the moral and historical traditions of Islam would be surprised by such a noble deed. Imam Abdullahi Abubakar stood firmly within a lineage of Muslim exemplars who placed humanity above hostility and conscience above conflict,” Kamor said.
MPAC also drew parallels between the late imam’s actions and historic acts of religious tolerance, including the protection of Christians by Algerian leader Amir Abd al-Qadir in 19th-century Damascus and the Prophet Muhammad’s forgiveness of his former persecutors in Makkah.
“As the nation mourns his passing, we called on religious leaders, educators, media organisations, and policymakers to uphold and promote Imam Abubakar’s legacy as a model of peaceful coexistence and nation-building,” the statement read.
