By Rauf Oyewole
The Management of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi has stepped in to regulate activities of religious groups on campus to avert dispute among different sects and denominations.
The Vice Chancellor of ATBU, Prof Ibrahim Garba said this on Thursday while inaugurating a committee to review a proposed five-point resolution recommendations drafted by the Department of State Security (DSS).
Recall that there was a controversy over allocation of a plot of land to Tijjaniyya Muslim Students Association of Nigeria (TIMSAN) to build their mosque within the campus. The disagreements began on Friday, June 26, 2026, when ATBU Chief Imam, Prof. Mansur Isa Yalwa, and his deputy resigned. They cited the university’s approval of land for TIMSAN to build a sect-specific mosque, after a Shura (religious leaders) Committee directive barred the group from holding activities in existing university mosque.
To avert imminent religious crisis, DSS had invited relevant stakeholders to a meeting while giving a five-point resolution: all Islamic sects to hold religious activities within university mosque. That the School should withdraw the allocated land. The Shura Council and MSSN leadership will be reconstituted to reflect all Muslim sects on campus. That the university should appoint chief Imam and his deputies and the University would enforce existing rules guiding religious activities on campus.
Prof. Garba tasked the committee on the terms of reference: study the resolutions and advise the management on how to operationalise the recommendations that came from a response of the interaction of various stakeholders in the DSS. “The reason why the State Security took it, is because the matter was getting beyond the borders of ATBU and it was attracting more positive and negative national attention.”
Also, the Registrar of the university, Alh. Kabiru Garba Aminu added that the terms of reference of the committee include; to advise the management of the university on how to operationalise the recommendations of the DSS. “Those five recommendations stated. Then, to develop a code of conduct for religious activities in the university. Make appropriate recommendations. The committee is given up to 15th of July to submit a report to the Vice Chancellor.”
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