Shariah council names Bashir Umar as new president

The Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria (SCSN) has announced its Vice President, Sheikh Dr. Bashir Aliyu Umar, as its new president.

The announcement followed the death of its erstwhile president, Sheikh Abdul Rasheed Hadiyatullah, on Monday.

A statement signed by the Secretary General of SCSN, Malam Nafiu Baba Ahmed, described the death of Sheik Hadiyatullah as a great loss not only to the Council but to the entire Muslim Ummah in Nigeria and beyond.

While praying for Allah (SWT) to forgives his shortcomings and grant him Jannatul Firdaus, he noted that Dr. Bashir was appointed in accordance with the constitution and established procedures of the Council.

“The Vice President, Sheikh Dr. Bashir Aliyu Umar OON, has been unanimously confirmed as the new President of the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria..We express our full confidence in Sheikh Dr. Bashir Aliyu Umar’s leadership, scholarship, and unwavering commitment to the ideals of Shari’ah and justice. The position of Vice President will be announced in due course, In Shaa Allah. We seek the continuous prayers and support of the Ummah as the Council continues its mission of upholding and promoting Islamic principles across Nigeria.”

Daily Trust reports that Dr. Bashir is a prominent figure in the field of Islamic studies and Islamic finance in Nigeria.

He holds a Ph.D. in Hadith and Islamic Studies from the Islamic University of Madinah and has served on various committees related to Shari’ah and Islamic banking in Nigeria and internationally, including the Shari’ah Advisory Committee of Stanbic IBTC Bank and the Council of Experts on Islamic Banking of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).