Former Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Sardaunan Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji, has died.
The respected elder statesman passed away on Thursday morning at Alliance Hospital in Abuja after weeks of treatment. He had earlier been transferred from the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) in Sokoto.
The Dikkon Sokoto, Alhaji Ya’u Dogon Daji, a relative of the deceased, confirmed the news, revealing that Alhaji had battled illness for nearly a month.
> “He was first admitted at UDUTH in Sokoto before he was transferred to Alliance Hospital in Abuja, where he eventually died,” he said.
Dogon Daji disclosed that the late diplomat had appeared to be recovering and that they last spoke two days before his passing.
> “He told me he was getting better and hoped to return to Sokoto very soon. That was my last conversation with him,” he added.
He also recalled that the late elder statesman had once told him he was 94 years old.
In recent years, Alhaji had stepped away from public life, dedicating much of his time to reading the Holy Qur’an and worship.
According to Dogon Daji, the funeral prayer (Salatul Janazah) will be held at Sultan Bello Mosque in Sokoto at about 4 p.m. on Thursday, after which he will be buried at the royal cemetery, Hubbaren Shehu. The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, was expected to return to Sokoto for the funeral.
Before his death, Alhaji held the prestigious traditional title of Sardaunan Sokoto, once held by the late Premier of Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello.
Alhaji began his career in the Nigerian Civil Service in 1964 and rose to become Permanent Secretary in both the Federal Ministries of Trade and Finance. He later served as Minister of State for Budget and Planning in 1988 and Minister of Finance from 1990 to 1991 under the military government of General Ibrahim Babangida.
He also represented Nigeria as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and served as Special Adviser on Economic Affairs to the governments of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states.
The late statesman was a nephew and son-in-law of the late Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki, having married the Sultan’s eldest daughter. He is survived by his wife, five children, grandchildren and other relatives, including former Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Hajiya Aisha Abubakar, and Aminu Alhaji, a former Special Adviser to ex-Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.
His passing brings to a close more than five decades of distinguished service in Nigeria’s civil service, economic management, diplomacy and traditional leadership.
