Nigeria: Muhammadul Mahy Niass received by President Buhari

Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, has hailed the patriotic martyrs of the civil war whose glorious sacrifices made possible the unity of Nigeria as a great nation. The salutation was made by the President while speaking on Friday at the reception of Muhammadul Mahy Niass, leader of the Tijaniya Islamic religious movement, in Abuja.

After an audience with the Khalifa of Medina Baye, Muhammadul Mahy Niass, the Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, commended the efforts of the religious group to find appropriate solutions to security challenges in the country. President Muhammadu Buhari described the visit of the spiritual leader as historic while commending the congregation for its peaceful conduct in carrying out its activities.

President Muhammadu Buhari also thanked the Tijaniya Islamic Brotherhood for their « abundant prayers for the end of war and the reunification of Nigeria. He recalled that during the 30 months of the civil war, Nigerians on all sides lost many lives, praying that « never again will we experience such a situation.

For his part, Baye Cheikh Muhammadul Mahy Niass said he had come to officially present himself to the Nigerian government and people as the new leader of the Tijaniya brotherhood, which has a base in Kaolack, Senegal, and more specifically in Medina Baye. He prayed for peace, unity and the greatness of Nigeria. Also speaking, Dahiru Usman Bauchi, head of the Tijaniya in Nigeria, prayed for continued peace and blessings for the country.

The religious leader was in Nigeria as part of the celebration of the birth of Baye Niasse. As a reminder, Nigeria has tens of millions of followers of Sheikh Ibrahima Niasse.