The Ilorin Emirate has been plunged into deep mourning following the death of Shaykh (Dr.) Muhammad Bashir Imam Solih OON, the revered Chief Imam of Ilorin, who passed away on Monday at the age of 75.
In a condolence message issued by his press secretary, Dr. Abdulazeez Arowona, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari CFR, the Emir of Ilorin and Chairman of the Kwara State Traditional Rulers Council, announced the cleric’s demise, expressing acceptance of Almighty Allah’s will while highlighting the profound loss to the Emirate and beyond.
“Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un. It is with total submission to the will of Almighty Allah that we receive the news of the demise of the 12th Chief of Ilorin, Shaykh Muhammad Bashir Imam Solih Onida OON,” the Emir said in his message.
Shaykh Bashir Solih, widely respected as a leading Islamic scholar and spiritual voice in Kwara State, dedicated his life to religious scholarship, community leadership, and the promotion of peace and harmony. His death was described by the Emir as a “great sadness of no particular measure” for the Ilorin Emirate.
Reflecting on the cleric’s character, the Emir added, “He was a cleric with unique features, intelligence, honesty, loyalty, dedication, and tolerance. We reflect on his lifetime as a man of great honour and piety.”
The Emir further underscored the late Imam’s role in fostering unity within the Muslim clerical community and in promoting inter-religious harmony throughout Kwara State.
According to him,“Late Imam Solih was full of wisdom, and he was notable for unifying the entire Muslim clerics as well as promoting inter-religious harmony in the state.”
The Emir also provided details of the burial rites, announcing that the Janazah prayer will be held at the Palace Square of the Emir of Ilorin by 4 pm on Monday, January 19, 2026.
He concluded his message with prayers for the departed cleric, “May Almighty Allah grant Imam Bashir forgiveness, accept his good deeds, and admit him into Al-Janatul Firdaus.”
Across Ilorin and the wider Muslim community, tributes have poured in for a leader whose influence spanned decades of religious education, spiritual guidance, and inter-faith cooperation. The late Shaykh Bashir served the Ilorin Emirate with distinction, and his contributions are remembered as instrumental to both religious life and social cohesion in the region.
His death marks the end of a distinguished chapter in the emirate’s religious history, leaving behind a legacy of scholarship, unity, and peaceful coexistence.
