Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un.

1. The Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria (SCSN) announces, with profound sadness and submission to the will of Allah (SWT), the passing of its Secretary-General, Malam Nafiu Baba Ahmad, mni, a distinguished Islamic activist, legal practitioner, public intellectual, administrator, and devoted servant of the Muslim Ummah.
2. Malam Nafiu Baba Ahmed returned to his Creator in the early hours of Tuesday, 06th October 2026 (23 Rabi al-Thani 1448 AH). His death is a great loss to the Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria, the Nigerian Muslim community, and the nation at large.
3. Born on 11 June 1956 in Zaria, Kaduna State, Malam Nafiu Baba Ahmad received a strong foundation in Qur’anic and Islamic education before pursuing formal academic training in law at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. His intellectual formation, combining Islamic scholarship with legal and public-policy expertise, enabled him to make significant contributions to national discourse on justice, religious freedom, constitutional rights, governance, and the welfare of the Muslim Ummah.
4. As Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria, Malam Nafiu Baba Ahmad occupied a pivotal position in the administration and strategic direction of the Council. He coordinated its programmes and activities, facilitated engagement between the Council and the wider Muslim community, and represented its institutional interests in engagements with government, civil society, professional bodies, and the media. Through his principled leadership, he contributed immensely to strengthening the Council’s institutional capacity and national presence.
5. His distinguished professional career also extended into Nigeria’s financial and corporate sectors. At the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), he served as Director/Board Member and Corporate Secretary. Before then he served at First Interstate Merchant Bank Ltd. as Secretary and Assistant General Manager, where he brought his legal expertise to bear on corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and institutional administration. In the Islamic banking sector, he played a leading role in establishing the first Islamic Banking system in Nigeria and served as an Independent Non-Executive Director of Jaiz Bank Plc and participated in the Board Governance.
6. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Malam Nafiu Baba Ahmed was deeply committed to scholarship, public service, justice, and the advancement of Islamic institutions. He was admitted as a Member of the National Institute (mni) of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, in recognition of his contributions to national policy discourse and strategic thinking.
7. Throughout his life, he demonstrated an uncommon combination of Islamic values, legal knowledge, professional competence, intellectual depth, humility, and commitment to service. His interventions on matters affecting Muslims and the Nigerian nation were guided by principle, wisdom, constitutional awareness, and a profound sense of responsibility.
8. The Council mourns the departure of a trusted colleague, an accomplished professional, a committed person, and a tireless servant of the Ummah. His contributions to the Council and the wider Muslim community will remain part of its institutional history and collective memory.
9. We extend our deepest condolences to his immediate family, the Shurah members, relatives, colleagues, associates, members of the Muslim community, and all those who had the privilege of knowing and working with him.
10. We pray that Allah, the Most Merciful, forgives his shortcomings, accepts his good deeds, rewards his years of service to Islam and humanity, grants him Al-Jannatul Firdaus, and gives his family and the entire Ummah the strength and patience to bear this irreparable loss.
11. May Allah preserve the legacy of Malam Nafiu Baba Ahmad, mni, and raise him among those upon whom He has bestowed His grace. Ameen.

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un.

Sheikh Professor Bashir Aliyu Umar, OON

President, Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria (SCSN)

Tuesday, 06th October 2026 (23rd Rabi al-Thani 1448 AH)