Nigeria is in mourning following the death of Imam Abubakar Abdullahi, the revered Islamic cleric who gained international acclaim for saving 262 Christians during a 2018 massacre in Plateau State. The humanitarian icon passed away on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at the age of 90 in Jos. Known as the “Imam of Peace,” Abdullahi famously stood between bloodthirsty bandits and his Christian neighbors in Nghar community, hiding them in his home and mosque while pleading with the attackers to take his own life instead. His death marks the end of a life that many Nigerians view as a definitive sermon on religious tolerance and human courage.
Tributes have poured in from across the globe, with President Bola Tinubu describing the late Imam as a “rare gem of humanity” whose actions prevented what could have been a catastrophic religious war in the Nigeria. In his lifetime, the Imam’s heroism earned him the International Religious Freedom Award from the U.S. State Department and a national honor in Nigeria. Funeral rites were held on Friday in Barkin Ladi, attended by a diverse crowd of Muslims and Christians, many of whom were the very individuals he protected during the dark days of the 2018 attacks.
Religious leaders from the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) issued a joint statement honoring his legacy, noting that Abdullahi proved faith should be a “softer, not harder” influence on society. They emphasized that his life was a testament to the fact that the “Nigeria we pray for” is a choice waiting to be made by individuals in moments of crisis. Many are calling for the federal government to immortalize his name by establishing a national peace center or naming a major institution in his honor to serve as a perpetual reminder of his sacrifice.
