- An X user shared details about Colonel AA Ude, the Defence Intelligence Agency officer who was killed at his Abuja home
- Uthman Isa Tochukwu described the late colonel as a hafiz who had memorised the entire Quran and mastered the Arabic language
- Fellow Muslims across ethnic lines joined Igbo Muslim communities in mourning the colonel, calling him a rare gem
Tributes are pouring in for Colonel AA Ude, a Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) officer who was killed after reportedly resisting an abduction attempt at his home in Abuja, with those who knew him describing a man of deep Islamic scholarship and quiet distinction.
The incident happened at around 10:45pm on Monday, shortly after Ude returned to his residence at Phase 5, Army Housing Estate, Kurudu, on the outskirts of Abuja.
Source: Twitter
A Scholar Behind the Uniform
Uthman Isa Tochukwu, an X user who identified Ude as a prominent figure within the Igbo Muslim community, said the late officer was a hafizul Qur’an, meaning he had committed the entire Quran to memory. Tochukwu added that Ude had also achieved a rare mastery of the Arabic language.
“Sheikh Col. AA Ude was a Hafizul Qur’an (He memorized the whole Qur’an). He was a mastery of Arabic Language; he commands the Language perhaps better than the Arabs. He was a seasoned intelligence military officer and one of the best in Nigeria today,” Tochukwu wrote on X.
He said Ude had been due for promotion to the rank of brigadier general in 2027, a rank he noted no Igbo Muslim had previously attained in the Nigerian military. Beyond his faith, Tochukwu described the late colonel as someone who collected multiple awards for his intelligence work and who carried himself with a calm, measured manner even under pressure.
“He was a Teacher of the Qur’an and a great mentor to most of us and Wallahi, it would take a generation to raise his kind again in our midst,” Tochukwu wrote.
Muslim Community Mourns Across Tribal Lines
The grief over Ude’s death extended well beyond the Igbo Muslim community. Aminu Baban Mairam, another X user, said the country had lost someone whose value could not be measured by ethnicity or religion.
“Nigeria has lost a rare gem. His death is a lost to us all irrespective of sx, race, tribe and religion. May Allah grants him the highest rank in jannah Amin,” he wrote.
Salahuddeen Ibn Gauss also weighed in, saying the loss “is not just painful to Igbo Muslims but to generality of Muslims.”
Tochukwu ended his tribute with a prayer: “May Allah grant you pardon our dear sheikh and illuminate your grave! May you not be questioned for too long before you are admitted into Jannah! We lost our hero!”
“Igbos Don’t Like Marrying Us”: Imo Chief Imam Speaks
In a previous report, the chief imam of Imo state, Sheikh Suleiman Njoku, has highlighted the challenges Muslims of Igbo extraction face in the southeast.
The southeast is predominantly dominated by the Igbo tribe who primarily practice Christianity apart from the traditional religion.
Source: Legit.ng