Alhaji Shehu Shagari

1924–2018

The remains of former President Shehu Shagari, who died Friday evening, will be brought to Sokoto today (Saturday) for burial, his son Ibrahim Shehu Shagari has disclosed. He also said the family was waiting for the Sultan of Sokoto to inform them of further arrangements for the burial.

Alhaji Shagari died at the National Hospital, Abuja, after a brief illness at the age of 93.

Shagari’s grandson, Bello Shagari, who is the National President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), said that his grandfather died around 7:00pm at the National Hospital, where he had been on admission for two days.

Also commenting, Nura Shagari, another grandson of the late president, said the death was a shock to the family. “He left Sokoto just three days ago to the National Hospital. He had catarrh. Unfortunately, he died,” Nura told Daily Trust Saturday. “It came as a shock to us because he was not ill, he was very strong. It’s just his age,” he stated.

Nura, who shares the same birthday, February 25, with his grandfather, noted that he would have clocked 94 in less than two months. He however described the ex-president’s demise as an act of God.

When Daily Trust Saturday visited the Sokoto residence of the ex-president, it was observed that the entire household was in a sombre mood, and sympathizers kept trooping in to condole with the family.

One of his drivers, Bala, while speaking to Daily Trust Saturday, said the former President had been suffering from a pneumonia-like illness for almost two weeks and that when his condition deteriorated he was flown to Abuja for medical attention at the national hospital.

Bala, who said he has been working for late Shagari before his election as civilian president, described him as religious, honest, and a gentleman to the core. He described the death as a monumental loss, praying to Allah to grant him Jannatul Firdaus.

Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari GCFR, served as the first and only president of Nigeria’s Second Republic, after the handover of power by General Olusegun Obasanjo’s military government. He also served seven times in a ministerial or cabinet post as a federal minister and federal commissioner from 1958-1975.

He is survived by several children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.