Sheikh Dr. Ahmed Abou Bakr Lemu of Nigeria emerged one of the five distinguished scholars from various parts of the world, including a Saudi, who won the prestigious King Faisal Prize recently. The announcement was made at a glittering event a few days ago.

Dr. Lemu bagged the King Faisal International Prize for his Service to Islam.

Lemu who is also the Chairman, Council of Trustees, Islamic Relief Commission Office clinched the prize for his efforts towards education, development and call to Islam, particularly his defense of Muslim women’s rights and his initiatives to combat extremism in Nigeria.

The King Faisal International Prize for Science (Mathematics) was awarded to Prof. Gerd Faltings of Germany. The Prize for Medicine went to Prof. Yuk Ming Dennis Lo of China.

The Prize for Arabic Language and Literature was awarded to Dr. Abdullah Ibrahim Allawi Albussabah of Iraq.

The King Faisal International Prize for Islamic Studies went to Prof. Abdulwahab Ibrahim Abou Sulaiman, a member of the Council of Senior Islamic Scholars in the Kingdom.

Sheikh Ahmed Lemu started his career as a teacher under the Bida Native Authority, Sheikh Ahmed Lemu was a principal of two famous centers of learning in northern Nigeria: the School for Arabic Studies (SAS), Kano; and the Arabic Teachers’ College, Sokoto.

He was appointed Grand Qadi of Niger State after the creation of the state in 1976. Born 84 years ago in Lemu in Niger State, the point-blank scholar, jurist, blunt preacher, Imam, exegetic of the Qur’an, prolific writer, author, publisher, elder statesman, public speaker and President of Islamic Education Trust is a distinguished personality who after 22 years in to retirement from the civil service, brought his exceptional qualities to fore when he chaired the Presidential Panel on Post-Election Violence in Nigeria in 2011.