Respected Islamic Scholar Prof. Yusuf Lanre Badmas Dies Shortly After Ilorin Chief Imam
The academic and religious communities in Kwara State have been thrown into mourning following the death of renowned Islamic scholar, Professor Yusuf Lanre Badmas, who passed away on Friday after a brief illness.
His demise comes barely two weeks after the passing of the Chief Imam of Ilorin Emirate, Sheikh Muhammad Bashir Soliu, deepening a season of loss within the Ilorin Emirate’s intellectual and spiritual circles.
PRNigeria reports that Professor Badmas, aged 68, was widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s foremost scholars in Islamic jurisprudence (Usul al-Fiqh), with a distinguished career that spanned decades in teaching, research, administration, and community service.
Until his retirement, he held several key positions at the , including Dean of the Postgraduate School, Head of the Department of Religious Studies, and Director of the Linguistics Immersion Centre. Colleagues and former students described him as a brilliant scholar, firm administrator, and a mentor who shaped generations of academics and Islamic thinkers.
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Beyond the university environment, Prof. Badmas was a central figure in the religious life of the Ilorin Emirate. He served as Chairman of the Kwara State chapter of the National Hijrah Ummatul-Islamiyyah and played a key role in major Islamic intellectual projects. Notably, he was the reviewer and a major contributor to The Spiritual Orator, the biography of the late 12th Chief Imam of Ilorin, for which he also wrote the foreword.
He was also the founder of the Crescent Islamic Group of Schools, an institution dedicated to blending moral instruction with modern education, reflecting his long-standing commitment to integrating faith and contemporary knowledge.
Prof. Badmas was known for his forthright views on national issues, particularly education and security. In one widely cited intervention, he warned that withdrawing children from school due to insecurity would be “suicidal,” urging authorities to strengthen protection for learning institutions rather than allow fear to undermine education.
His public service extended to educational governance, where he served as Chairman of the Board of the Kwara State College of Arabic and Islamic Legal Studies (CAILS). In that role, he was instrumental in curriculum development and institutional reforms aimed at raising academic standards.
He also recently commended the Federal Government for returning the to the supervision of the Office of the Vice President, describing the move as a step toward strengthening the administration of Hajj affairs.
Tributes have continued to pour in from academics, religious leaders, former students, media professionals, and public officials, many of whom praised his lifelong dedication to scholarship, moral leadership, and community development.
Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced by the family.
By PRNigeria
