ATBU Sets Up Committee On DSS Recommendations For Religious Activities

Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, has inaugurated an implementation committee to develop guidelines for religious activities on its campuses.

This followed recommendations of the Department of State Services (DSS), aimed at promoting lasting peace in the university’s two campuses.

Speaking during the inauguration, ATBU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ibrahim Garba said the committee was carefully constituted after extensive consultations by the university management.

He explained that the committee’s primary responsibility is to advise the management on how to operationalise the recommendations arising from the DSS-mediated stakeholders’ engagement.

Garba also said the panel is to develop a comprehensive code of conduct for religious activities in the university and make any other recommendations considered necessary to achieve its mandate.

According to the Vice-Chancellor, the intervention of the DSS became necessary because the issue had begun attracting national attention beyond the university community.

“The matter was getting beyond the borders of ATBU and attracting both positive and negative national attention. No responsible government would allow such a situation to escalate further,” he said.

Garba announced that, pending the committee’s report, activities at the university’s two mosques would be restricted to the five daily prayers and the weekly Jumu’ah prayers.

“No other religious activities will be conducted in the mosques until the committee submits clear recommendations on the implementation of the DSS resolutions,” he stated.

The Vice Chancellor appealed to all members of the university community to remain patient and allow the committee to complete its assignment, stressing that the exercise is intended to strengthen reconciliation and preserve peace on campus.

Garba also expressed appreciation to all stakeholders for their maturity and understanding during the recent incident, while commending the DSS for its timely intervention and constructive recommendations.

He urged members of the university community to embrace tolerance, mutual understanding and respect, noting that ATBU remains a multicultural and multi-religious institution where peaceful coexistence must be protected.

Earlier, Registrar of the university, Kabiru Aminu, explained that the issues began after the Tijjaniyya group requested permission to conduct its activities in the university mosque.

He said a committee, which he chaired, initially recommended the allocation of land to the group after resistance to its request to use the central mosque for other religious activities.

According to him, following the subsequent intervention by the DSS, a meeting involving university officials, the Shura leadership, the Tijjaniyya Muslim Students Association (TIMSA), the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), and student representatives produced five key recommendations for implementation.

The recommendations include allowing all recognised Islamic groups to use the university mosque for approved religious activities, withdrawing the land earlier allocated to the Tijjaniyya group, restructuring the leadership of relevant religious associations to ensure wider representation.

Others are transferring the appointment of the university Imam to the institution’s management and developing regulations to govern religious activities across the campuses.

The registrar said the university management subsequently directed the establishment of an implementation committee to translate the recommendations into workable regulations.

He announced that the committee is chaired by a former vice-chancellor of ATBU, Prof. Saminu Abdurrahman Ibrahim, with Dr Usman Hayatu Dukku serving as co-chairman, while the registrar will serve as a member alongside other stakeholders.

The committee’s terms of reference include advising the university management on implementing the DSS recommendations, developing a code of conduct for religious activities and making any additional recommendations necessary to ensure peaceful coexistence.

The committee is expected to submit an interim report to the vice-chancellor within one week, being Thursday, July 9, 2026 and its final report not later than July 16, 2026.

Responding on behalf of the committee, the chairman, Prof  Ibrahim thanked the university management for the confidence reposed in its members and assured that they would discharge the assignment diligently and submit their reports within the stipulated timeframe.