Ilorin – The Emir of Ilorin and Chairman of the Kwara State Council of Traditional Rulers, Mai-Martaba Alhaji (Dr) Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, has announced that the Janazah prayer for the late Chief Imam of Ilorin, Shaykh Muhammad Bashir Imam Solih OON, will be held on Tuesday, January 20, 2026.
According to the Emir, the funeral prayer will take place at the Palace Square of the Emir of Ilorin by 10:00am.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday by the Emir’s Press Secretary, Dr Abdulazeez Arowona, who explained that the Janazah was scheduled for Tuesday due to the late arrival of the remains of the deceased from Abuja.
“The Janazah for the late Chief Imam of Ilorin, Shaykh (Dr) Muhammad Bashir Imam Solih, will hold tomorrow, Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at the Emir’s Palace by 10:00am.
“This is with the approval of the Emir of Ilorin and Chairman, Kwara State Council of Traditional Rulers, Mai-Martaba Alhaji (Dr) Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, due to the late arrival of the corpse from Abuja,” the statement read.
The Emir urged members of the public, particularly Muslims in Ilorin and its environs, to attend the burial rites and to continue praying for the repose of the soul of the departed Islamic scholar.
PUNCH Online had earlier reported that the 12th Chief Imam of Ilorin, Shaykh (Dr) Muhammad Bashir Imam Solih OON, died on Monday at the age of 75 after a brief illness. He passed away at a hospital in Abuja, where he had been receiving medical treatment for about ten days.
In an earlier condolence message, the Emir described the death of the Chief Imam as a colossal loss to the Ilorin Emirate, the Muslim Ummah and humanity at large.
He noted that the late cleric was widely revered for his profound knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence, moral uprightness and unwavering commitment to peace and unity.
Until his death, Shaykh Solih served as the Chief Imam of Ilorin and Chairman of the Kwara State Council of Ulama, playing a key role in promoting Islamic scholarship, interfaith harmony and communal coexistence. He was also regarded as a leading voice of religious moderation and moral guidance in Kwara State and beyond.
