Musdapha Ilo, Maiduguri

The longest service Chief Imam of Borno, Ibrahim Ahmed, has died in an Egyptian Hospital after a protracted illness at the age of 90 years.

Announcing his death in a statement, his family said he died of Wednesday and was buried Thursday in his hometown.

He is survived by three wives, many children, grandchildren and great grandchildren among whom are Air commodore A T Imam.

Ahmed was born in 1924 in Yerwa in present day Maiduguri to the family of late Imam Ahmed Talib and started his career as acting chief imam between 1951 and 1956 when he was appointed the Chief Imam of Borno after the demise of his father.

He became the longest serving chief imam of Borno after serving for 63 years. There is no other Imam that has served that long since the Sayfawa dynasty to the El-Kanemi rulership of the empire.

Ahmed had since 2010 delegated the authority of leading Friday congregational prayer to his son, Alkali Baba Imam, who died in July 2013, which necessitated transferring the mantle to another son of his, Zannah Laisu Imam, now the District Head of Masba in Konduga local government area.

Condolences have continued to pour for the late Chief Imam and the governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima in a statement by his special adviser on media, Isa Gusau, described the late Ahmed as one of the very strong pillars of Borno whose demise will be eternally missed especially at a moment when the state is faced with challenges that require prayers.

Shettima said the late Imam played a crucial role in laying a solid foundation in the advancement of Borno’s legal system.

Also paying condolence, the minister of state for Power, Mohammed Wakil, described the late Chief Imam as a great scholar and devout muslim.

He said the best way to immortalize the late Imam is to continue to pray and work collectively to restore peace to the State, even as he prayed God to grant the late cleric eternal rest.