Former Sultan Of Sokoto Is Dead

Ibrahim Dasuki, the former sultan of Sokoto – the spiritual leader of Nigeria’s Muslims – has died at the age of 93.

He died in a private hospital in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, last night, and will be buried in his hometown of Sokoto later in the afternoon.

He was appointed as the sultan in 1988 during the military administration of Gen Ibrahim Babangida, but his appointment was greeted with five days of riots in which 10 people died.

People at the time felt he was being imposed on them because of his close ties with the military government. They also feared he might want to modernise what is a traditional role, reports the BBC.

Usually a sultan of Sokoto serves for life, but he was removed by Gen Sani Abacha’s regime in 1996 and was held under house arrest in central Taraba state for several years.

The ex-sultan is the father of the national security adviser Sambo Dasuki, who is standing trial accused of diverting millions of dollars meant to buy weapons to fight Islamist militant group Boko Haram – allegations he denies.