The Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC), Nigeria, joins the entire nation in mourning the passing of Imam Abdullahi Abubakar, the venerable cleric whose courage, compassion, and moral clarity saved over 300 innocent lives during the 2018 violence in Plateau State – an act that rightly earned him the Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2019.

At a moment when fear ruled the land, Imam Abdullahi Abubakar chose faith over fear and conscience over convenience. He opened his mosque and his home to Christians fleeing the killings in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, sheltering them for weeks at great personal risk. His conduct was not accidental; it was a direct expression of Islam’s highest moral code – the sanctity of human life, the supremacy of justice, and the obligation of mercy.

In 2019, MPAC celebrated his heroism as a living embodiment of the Qur’anic declaration:

“You are the best nation brought forth for the benefit of mankind…” (Surah Al-Imran, 3:110).

Reacting at the time, MPAC’s Executive Chairman, Alhaji Disu Kamor, stated:
“Only those unfamiliar with the rich moral and historical traditions of Islam will be surprised by such a noble deed. Imam Abdullahi Abubakar stood firmly within a long, unbroken chain of Muslim exemplars who placed humanity above hostility, conscience above conflict, and life above ideology.”

He further situated the Imam’s actions within the noble continuum of Islamic history, drawing parallels with Amir Abd al-Qadir Al-Jazairi, who protected Christians in Damascus in 1860, and with the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), who forgave his persecutors in Makkah and declared their lives and rights inviolable.

As we mourn his passing, MPAC calls on religious leaders, educators, the media, and policymakers to preserve, project, and propagate his example as a timeless model of faith in action, peaceful coexistence, and genuine nation-building.

May Allah grant him Jannatul Firdaus and comfort his family and community. His life stands as enduring proof that Islam, at its core, is mercy – not only to Muslims, but to all of mankind.

MPAC Nigeria