A mammoth crowd witnessed the burial of the remains of the late Emir of Dutse, Alhaji Nuhu Muhammad Sunusi, Wednesday evening in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital.
The burial prayer took place in accordance with Islamic rites at the Dutse Eid ground around 3:20pm.
To avoid a stampede, the funeral prayer was observed without bringing the body out of the ambulance that conveyed it to the venue.
Daily Trust recalls that the emir died Tuesday evening at Cedar Crest Hospital, Abuja after a brief illness.
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Those that attended the burial were state governor, Abubakar Badaru; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President Bukola Saraki; former Borno governor, Senator Kashim Shatima and former Jigawa governors: Alhaji Sule Lamido and Senator Saminu Turaki.
Also in attendance were the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III; Emir of Kano Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero; Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi; and emirs of Ringim, Hadejia, Gumel, Kazaure, Ningi, Zazzau, Das and Rano, among many others.
Atiku, who is the PDP presidential candidate in the upcoming general elections, addressed the late emir as the father of all because of his kindness and support to his people.
He prayed that Allah forgive him and bless his children and family that he left on earth.
Governor Badaru said Jigawa and Nigeria had lost a prominent and kindhearted personality who dedicated himself to supporting and addressing issues in the state ranging from insecurity, education mater and agriculture among many others.
Lamido said the late emir was the person that introduced tests before marriage in the state and had recorded a lot of success.
He described him as a ‘Man of God’ who always supported religion and people not only in Jigawa but across Nigeria and abroad.
The Sultan also described the late emir as a ‘man of integrity’ who had the respect of many emirs and prominent Nigerians because of his talent, faith, dedication, support, and humility.
Our correspondent reports that before the emir died, he was taking care of more than 1,000 orphans and feeding about the same number of Almijiris every evening in his home.
Buhari’s delegation attends burial
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday sent a delegation led by the Minister of Water Resources, Sulaiman Adamu, to the burial.
The delegation which included the Minister of Power, Aliyu Abubakar; the Minister of State, Works and Housing, Umar El-Yakub; the Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media and Publicity), Garba Shehu; and the Presidential Protocol Liaison Officer, Shehu Usman Bello, was first allowed a view of the corpse to offer prayers before its internment.
The Galadiman Dutse, Alhaji Basiru Muhammed Sunusi, who is an older brother of the deceased, and Hajiya Gaji Muhammad Sunusi, senior wife of the late emir, said they were pleased with the president for identifying with the family at their difficult moment.
The state governor; the Emir of Hadejia, Dr Adamu Abubakar Maje, who is the Chairman of the state’s Council of Traditional Rulers and the Sultan who all received the delegation, thanked the president for honouring the people of the state.
Buhari, in a statement issued by his media aide, Malam Garba Shehu, said the demise of the emir had deprived the nation of a formidable agent of development.
The president, in a message to the Emirate Council, said the deceased left a mark as a recognized leader in re-forestation and the restoration of the green ecosystem.
He condoled the family, the Dutse Emirate Council and the entire people of the state and urged them to sustain the worthy causes championed by the late emir.
By Muideen Olaniyi (Abuja) & Ali Rabiu Ali (Dutse)
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