A lecturer in the Department of Library and Information Science, Gombe State University, Abubakar Faisal-Abdulkadir, tells CHIMA AZUBUIKE how his brother, the late Sheikh Ibrahim Kuri-Albani, was killed by gunmen on August 9, 2023, in the Akko Local Government Area of the state
How would you describe the late sheikh?
He was 44 years old, a good man and a respected sheikh. He was an Islamic cleric, who specialised in tafsir and hadith as well. All his life, Sheikh Albani Kuri, had always taught and preached wherever he found himself. Once he was given the opportunity, he taught the Quran. In a nutshell, that was how he spent his life. He was a dutiful person, caring and loving, he was philanthropic in his disposition, especially with indigent people around him. Not many show love to people, especially when they are privileged, but he was exceptionally kind, a community person and a family man with a sense of utmost responsibility.
What do you think people will miss the most about him?
Many other people will miss his teachings. We will miss the Saturday tafsir that most of us attended. The late Sheikh Albani Kuri used to deliver it at the Shabisunah Mosque I used to attend very frequently. The death of the sheikh is a painful one; we have never experienced this kind of thing in the family. It’s sad that someone will be healthy, not sick but will be cut off (killed) just like that. His unique delivery of tafsir was extraordinary, and this endeared him to people, to many followers both young and old. So many of his followers I assure you will miss him but like good Muslims, we rely on the will and plan of Allah.
We will miss him a lot because, in the family, he had been a figure to be reckoned with. He took responsibility for his family and some others, including some of his siblings who shared the same parents with him. The people he had been kind to over time will miss this support. It is a big void that only Allah can fill, especially with the economic situation in the country, where most people are managing to survive. He was magnanimous and philanthropic, so some of these gestures will be highly missed. As it is now, I don’t know who will take up those responsibilities now that Sheikh Albani Kuri is no more.
When did he become a Sheikh?
He became a sheikh in 2015 . The position of a sheikh is like academic learning that we have from first degree, master’s, and PhD before one becomes a professor. In that regard, the sheikh in the academic line can be compared to a professor. So, it was in 2015 that he attained that height. So the position of a Sheikh is not just for any person but for those who have committed themselves to searching, researching and studying the holy Quran. He was unique in his way.
Can you recall the last experience with Sheikh Albani Kuri?
It was on the Saturday before the week of his demise. Before he delivered the lecture, he just shared a few jokes with me. We had traditional jokes because of the kind of relationship we had. Our relationship made it easy for us to relate well. In our place, we had unique things like names, and jokes we usually share which you may not even understand no matter how hard you try even while you are present with full concentration on our pleasantries. We related in this unique manner very often no matter the busy schedule.
Does that mean you did not see him the day he was killed?
No, I saw him the day before he was killed. I saw him but he didn’t see me. So, since we were far from each other, we didn’t have to talk, joke or say the usual things that we used to say.
Where exactly was that?
It was around the mosque. I was about to go to the office. So he parked in a plaza along the main market road. I saw him but he didn’t see me, so I passed. I was driving when I sighted the late Sheikh Albani Kuri. He was heading for his car; maybe he went to get something or meet some people, I really can’t tell.
How did you hear about his death and what exactly happened? Some claimed he was assassinated, and the police said it was a robbery incident. Can you confirm what exactly led to his demise?
Alhamdulillah! As an Islamic believer, we know that whoever lost his life in the struggle to protect his property is definitely going to have a shahada direct Aljanah (paradise), since he died struggling to protect his property. The robbers collected his phones, and automated teller machine cards and he struggled with them and was stabbed with the knife. I will say, Alhamdulillah, that he has a shahada. He was killed in the struggle to protect his property, so I wouldn’t call that assassination or name the killers as gunmen as some people reported. Instead, they (robbers) were the young boys whose parents failed to train well or those who defied efforts to get the training bequeathed to them. The reason I’m campaigning for deliberate parenting is that no child should be born without preparation as a father or mother to cater for them.
How would you rate the response of security agencies?
Actually, you know the nature of the security architecture. I may not have much experience in it but I wish to urge them to improve their operations as it would save more lives and property, especially for people residing around that area. The security challenges have been worsening as they have been experiencing this type of challenge. It may interest you to know that this is the third time he was attacked. In the first one, he was at home, in the second one, they were not around because he and his wife went somewhere only to return to discover that their home had been burgled and it was during the third attack that they killed him in the process of their operation. Actually, the neighbourhood needs to organise themselves if the security agencies can’t take care of their security needs. As you know, the civil population has outnumbered the number of security agents. So, there is a need for the people living around to organise themselves and form a local vigilance group commonly called ‘banga’ so that they can forestall a recurrence thereby taking care of themselves. This thing can’t continue like this because the experience of neighbours showed that the criminals used to raid 10 to 20 houses within the area. If the security agencies are not ready to help them due to the huge population then the residents must restrategise.
You said late Albani was attacked three times before he was killed. Do you think he was targeted by a gang of robbers?
In the first robbery, the gang attacked the home, raided and stole his belongings. In the second one, the late Sheikh Albani Kuri, was not at home. I wouldn’t know, that information is not at my disposal. What I told you is basically what the wife told us.
How many wives did the late sheikh have?
He had two wives but the other one travelled; she is in her home town, Mubi. However, Amariya (his other wife) was the one with him when the incident occurred.
How many children did he have?
He had over six children. Now that Sheikh Albani Kuri is no more, the burden will be transferred to us. However, we wish that the government would take some responsibility for his family. We know he (the governor) can’t do it all but he should give a helping hand to immediate brothers (of the deceased) so that they can do what is expected of them.
You know education is a golden legacy so it will be nice for the seven children to get the best. I’m sure that will be the desire of the sheikh. It will be appreciated if the government can grant them a scholarship. This will to a good extent console the children and lessen the burden on the family. This is the reason for my special appeal to Governor Muhammadu Yahaya, to step in and do something for the family, children even if it’s a scholarship, whatever support that he may want to give to the children and the family will be most grateful. These children must not be denied the basic education, because of the father’s demise. The government can step in at least in honour of Sheikh Albani Kuri.
The Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Yahaya, paid a visit after the incident occurred and in his statement, he promised to beef up the security architecture. What is your reaction to that?
When Governor Yahaya visited the late sheikh’s residence he reassured the citizens of Gombe State that the government remained resolute in its efforts to uphold the safety and security of its people. He reassured that the government would continue to take comprehensive measures and apply the superiority of its force to clear and flush out criminals in any part of the state, as well as bring those responsible for this heinous crime to justice to prevent such incidents from recurring. He also said the memory of Sheikh Ibrahim Albani Kuri would serve as a reminder that we must remain vigilant and steadfast in our pursuit of a society where everyone can live in peace and without fear. Already, we have heard that the police have also declared a curfew.
Parents should take ownership; they must ensure that they talk to their children. If you know you are not ready to parent, then don’t have children. You should not even get married; it’s even better for society than to give birth to children who will commit atrocities like this in society by killing people anyhow. Some of the perpetrators are adolescents. They are the ones carrying weapons. Maybe if you slap one, he may even faint. Parents must endeavour to give their children the right training. The lack of this training is the genesis of all this problem. Parents should not continue to cause more problems for the society; they may not know but by the time you refuse to take charge of your responsibility, you are causing challenges for the society.
Beyond fending for your children, you must counsel them, guard them and protect them but the boys torment this environment and the others are protesting the neglect of parental roles in their lives. It is, however, unfortunate that a lot of times when they start causing havoc by venturing into criminal activities and all that, it’s not only their families that suffer; everyone does. When they steal and kill, they don’t necessarily do that from their families but from people innocent of such neglect which is most unfortunate. So, there should be a conscientious effort by our leaders to ensure that they encourage parents to be responsible, and responsive to the demands of the title and not allow society to continue to feel the pain of their failure. By doing so, the level of criminal activities will come down. The much-needed peace will be achieved, development will occur and sanity will be restored significantly for all.
