By Segun Adewale, Bauchi
The Concerned Zaar Patriots (CZP) has criticised Professor Salisu Shehu over his recent alleged inflammatory remarks against the actualization of the proposed Sayawa chiefdom in Tafawa Balewa local government area of Bauchi state.
According to a press release signed by Honourable Ishaya Dangana and made available to Journalists on Tuesday, 14 October, 2025, the Concerned Zaar Patriots condemned a recent statement credited to Professor Salisu who they described as a “self-styled Walin Tafawa Balewa” concerning the report of the Committee on the Creation of New Emirates, Chiefdoms and Districts in the State.
The press release read in parts, “The attention of the Concerned Zaar Patriots (CZP) has been drawn to a widely circulated statement credited to Professor Salisu Shehu, the selfstyled Walin Tafawa-Balewa concerning the report of the Committee on the Creation of New Emirates, Chiefdoms and Districts in Bauchi State”.
The CZP regretted that, in the statement, the Professor alleged that the Governor of Bauchi State has “removed Tafawa-Balewa from the Usmaniyya Empire” and “handed it to non-Muslims”.
“He further accused the Government of “rewarding those who he claimed, shed Muslim blood.
“Ordinarily, such reckless and unfounded assertions would have been ignored, however, coming from a man who claims academic distinction, this deliberate distortion of history and reckless weaponization of religion in a purely administrative process cannot go unanswered”.
The CZP noted with great concerns, Prof Salisu’s repeated negative statements against the Zaar/Sayawa people for a very long time, stating the urgent need to address him squarely, not in anger, fear, and submission but in defense of truth, justice, and the peace of Bauchi state and Nigeria at large.
“While we once held Professor Shehu in high academic regard, his continued pronouncements exposed either a shocking ignorance of history or a mischievous attempt to incite division and crisis”, the Zaar Patriots said.
While describing Prof Shehu Salisu’s narrative as historically false, archaic, religiously inflammatory, and socially dangerous, CZP questioned the moral and intellectual guidance Shehu Salisu offers to his students as a Professor.
Tracing the background of Prof Salisu, CZP said his father, Mal. Shehu Magini, a bricklayer came to Tafawa Balewa as an adult and a talented artisan and was embraced by the Sayawa people, who also patronized him.
The group, therefore, appealed to the government of Bauchi state and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu order a thorough investigation into the background and activities of the Prof. both on social media due to his inflammatory, divisive, hateful and threatening statements against the collective interests of the Law-abiding Zaar people and Nigerians in general.
“Our people have never for once hated him but showed him and his father true love and that’s why in Dec, 2021 he was invited to be the guest speaker in an event in Bogoro simply to show him that himself and others are part of us, and the Zaar people are open to every peace-loving man no matter his place of origin”, the press release said.
