The Emir of Ilorin and Chairman of the Kwara State Traditional Rulers Council, Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, has approved the appointment of Sheikh Muhammad Bashir Dasuki Imam Fulani as the 13th Chief Imam of the Ilorin Emirate.

The appointment was announced in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Emir’s spokesman, Dr. Abdulazeez Arowona, following a rigorous selection process that saw Sheikh Dasuki emerge as the successful candidate among several distinguished Islamic scholars who contested for the revered spiritual position.

Sheikh Muhammad Bashir Dasuki succeeds the late Muhammad Bashir Imam, who passed away on January 19, 2026, leaving behind a legacy of religious leadership and service to the Muslim community in Ilorin and beyond.

At 42, the newly appointed Chief Imam comes from a distinguished lineage of Islamic scholars. He is a grandson of the 8th Chief Imam of Ilorin, Sheikh Ibrahim Dasuki Imam Fulani Agaka, and the son of the 10th Chief Imam of Ilorin, Sheikh Maliki bn Dasuki Agaka, further cementing his family’s longstanding contribution to Islamic scholarship and leadership in the emirate.

Before his appointment, Sheikh Dasuki was the founder and proprietor of Darul Bisharah Arabic and Islamic Studies, located in Airport Egbejila, Ilorin. He also served as the resident Imam of Afusat Oloriegbe Memorial Mosque in Oko Olowo, where he led daily prayers and weekly Jumu’ah services.

Beyond his mosque responsibilities, the new Chief Imam has been actively involved in Islamic propagation and education. He is widely known as the presenter of the Al-Bisharah Islamic Foundation Radio Programme on Radio Kwara during the holy month of Ramadan and serves as a teacher at Darul Kitab College of Arabic and Islamic Studies in Gaa Akanbi, Ilorin.

His academic credentials reflect a strong foundation in Islamic studies. Sheikh Dasuki earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Islamic Shari’ah from Al-Azhar University in 2014 and also holds a Diploma in Arabic Islamic Education from Ahmadu Bello University through its Institute of Education. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Islamic Studies at Al-Hikmah University.

His educational journey also includes studies at Darul Kitab wa Sunnah, Gaa Akanbi, Ilorin, and Oke Suna LGEA Primary School, Ilorin, where he began his formal education.

The appointment has been welcomed by members of the Muslim community, who view it as a continuation of the emirate’s rich tradition of Islamic scholarship, leadership, and service.

In his message, the Emir of Ilorin offered prayers for the new Chief Imam, asking Allah to grant him long life, sound health, wisdom, and divine guidance as he assumes the responsibility of leading the Muslim Ummah in the Ilorin Emirate.

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