The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, has described the late Chief Imam of the Lagos State House, Imam Ismail Adejare Tijani as a dedicated Muslim Scholar and passionate religious leader with an oratory gift of Islamic Scripture.
The Governor stated this while paying tribute to the departed soul on behalf of his family and the good people of Lagos State at the Eighth-Day Fidau prayer for the late Imam at the Multi-Purpose Hall of the Lagos Secretariat Community Central Mosque, Alausa, Ikeja, on Friday.
Sanwo-Olu, represented at the ceremony by his Special Adviser on Islamic Matters, Mr. Ahmed Abdullahi Jebe, affirmed his admiration for the late Imam during his lifetime, stressing that his wisdom, knowledge and dedication to the course of Allah stood him apart as a true Islamic Scholar.
“In my personal encounter with the late Imam Ismail Adejare Tijani of the State House, I discovered that he was a man that was steeped in the belief of the oneness of Allah. His sermons, during congregation prayers at the Lagos House Mosque, Marina, were always about the triumph of good over evil”, he asserted.
Also in his tribute, the Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat said that he received the news of Imam Adejare’s death with a heavy heart, adding that the Imam was a man of deep learning, wisdom, very nice, warm, lived a dedicated life guided by the Holy Quran and always ready to share with others the blessings of Allah.
On his part, the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said that the death of Imam Tijani left him deeply shocked and devastated, noting that Imam Adejare was an excellent human being who remained humble, humane, unpretentious and very unassuming until his death.
Asiwaju, who spoke through his Chief of Staff, Mr. Tunde Rahman, stated that Tijani was not just a close associate but a friend and brother, adding that he never disappointed and performed his duties as a Public Servant and Chief Imam with diligence, prudence and dedication, and prayed that Allah grants him Aljanat Fridaus.
The former Governor of Lagos State and Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN); Senator Oluremi Tinubu; the Chief of Staff, Lagos State, Mr. Tayo Akinmade Ayinde; Hon. Commissioner for Home Affairs, Prince Anofiu Olanrewaju Elegushi; Iyaloja-General of Nigeria, Chief Mrs. Folasade Tinubu-Ojo and many others also paid their tribute at the occasion.
The Fidau prayer session was led by the Grand Chief Imam of Lagos, Engr. Sulaiman Olohuntoyin Abbu-Nolla supported by other prominent Imams from the five divisions of the State, among others.
