Retired Army Warrant Officer, Usman Dembo Announced As New Imam of Ile Dembo Mosque
The New Imam of Ile Dembo Mosque in Isale Maliki, Ilorin has been nominated and announced by the Magaji of Dembo’s family, Mallam Salman Dembo.
The announcement was made on Sunday shortly after Asri prayer at the mosque in the presence of the congregation and family members. He prayed to Allah to guide him and grant him a long life. Earlier Alhaji Umar Dembo had solicited the congregation support for the new Imam.
Alhaji Ahmed Alfa Dembo also urged the new Imam to be patient and refrain from rumour peddlers.He prayed that his time would usher in a new era of prosperity to all.
Associate Professor Usman Idris Kankawi explained that it has been ordained by the Almighty Allah that Mallam Usman Dembo will ascend the position of the Imam. He prayed to Allah to grant him a long life.
Alhaji Sanni Mohammed Laaro , who is also one of the elders in the mosque admonished the new Imam that he should lead them gently as they are not soldiers. He expressed his optimism about the competence of the new Imam saying he is highly knowledgeable.
The chairman of the Mosque committee , Alhaji Salihu Alamayo congratulated the New Imam and urged him to carry the congregation along. He prayed to Allah to grant him long life in good health.
In the words of new Imam, Mallam Usman Dembo ” I don’t expect to become Imam after service but like the words of Allah when he said never lose hope in His mercy. He declared that he would not deviate from the words of Allah and that of His messenger as an Imam of the mosque and thanked the entire Dembo’s family and the congregation.
Paying homage to Balogun Fulani of Ilorin, Alhaji Abubakar Sidiq Atiku Fulani, he admonished the new Imam to relate harmoniously with the league of imams in the community. He disclosed that he grew up to know that the Imam of Ile Dembo is the leading Imam in Balogun Fulani community.He prayed to Allah to grant him wisdom and long life.He also prayed for the soul of late Imam Salihu Sa’ad Dembo.
The Personal Assistant to Balogun Fulani Alhaji Zakariyau Balogun also advised the new Imam to carry everyone along. He prayed for late Imam Salihu Sa’ad Dembo for the harmonious role he played with other league of imams in the community during his life time.He prayed to Allah to guide the new Imam.
Mallam Usman Dembo replaced Late Imam Salihu Sa’ad Dembo who died on the 19th of July, 2025. His tenure was described as a new dawn as he used his influence and impeccable character in uniting the league of Imams in the Community.
He retired from the Nigerian Army in 2023 as Warrant Officer II after serving meritoriously for 35 years.
Dembo joined the Nigerian Army in 1988 and served under an infantry battalion for some years but later converted to Imam corps under the Nigerian Army Directorate of Islamic Affairs and served there for 21 years . While in his early days in service he was in education corps and partook in peacekeeping operations in Liberia,Sierra leone and Sudan
He attended OKesuna Primary School, Ilorin and Shamsudeen College of Arabic and Islamic Studies where he obtained leaving Certificate in 1980 and Hidaddiyya Certificate in 1979 respectively.Dembo also did his thanawy at the Ilorin Old Central mosque in 1983.He attended Ilorin Teacher’s College and completed it in 1985. He had National Certificate in Education (NCE) in Arabic /English language From the Federal College of Education,Kano in 1997.
Until his ascension as the new Imam of Ile Dembo, he usually organized Tafsir at Shamsudeen primary school, around Old Garage Shao in Ilorin.
