NILDS DG Hosts Fidau for Late Sheikh ‘Al-Bayyan’ Ajimati

By Oluwakemi Kindness

The Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), **Professor Abubakar Olanrewaju Sulaiman**, has organized a historic **Grand Fidau** in honour of his late elder brother, **Sheikh Isiaka Sulaiman Ajimati**, fondly known across West Africa as **Al-Bayyan**.

Held on **Sunday, June 15, 2025**, at **Alagbala, off Okeleru Street, Ajikobi Road in Ilorin, Kwara State**, the spiritual ceremony attracted a high-profile gathering of Islamic clerics, traditional rulers, public officials, and scholars from Nigeria and neighbouring countries.

Presiding over the prayer session was the **Chief Imam of Ilorin**, *Sheikh (Dr) Muhammad Bashir Saliu, OON*, who led the congregation in solemn supplications and **dua’h** for the repose of the soul of the renowned Islamic scholar. Imam Saliu extolled the virtues of the late Sheikh Ajimati, describing him as a devoted Islamic preacher and a faithful servant of Allah.

Renowned Islamic preachers, including the **Grand Mukadam of Ilorin, Sheikh Sulaiman Abubakar Dan-Borno**, and **Al-Mufty Ilory, Sheikh Sulaiman Onikijipa (OON)**, delivered moving sermons, celebrating the life of Al-Bayyan as a revered religious leader known for his piety, generosity, and vast Islamic knowledge.

Both clerics offered heartfelt prayers for his eternal rest in **Jannat-ul-Firdaus**, and divine strength for **Prof. Sulaiman** and the bereaved family during this time of mourning.

The late Sheikh Ajimati was widely respected across **Ivory Coast**, **Benin Republic**, **Lagos**, and **Ilorin** for his scholarly contributions to Islamic thought and community leadership.

Representatives of **Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (CON)**, alongside the **Emir of Ilorin**, **Chief Imam of Offa Sheikh Muyideen Salman Hussein**, **Khalifa Al-Adabiy Sheikh Abdulkadir Kamaldeen**, **Grand Khadi of the Kwara Sharia Court Justice Abdulateef Kamaldeen**, and other senior clerics, also graced the event.

Other distinguished guests included serving and retired government officials, political leaders, academics, and senior members of **NILDS Abuja**.