The former Sultan of Sokoto, Ibrahim Dasuki has died. He was aged 93.
Dasuki was the 18th Sultan of Sokoto.
He was deposed in 1996 during the military government of Sani Abacha.
The last public remark of Sultan Dasuki was a BBC Hausa service interview where he expressed his feelings about the search of his Sokoto residence by security operatives in President Muhammadu Buhari’s government who were allegedly gunning for his son, Colonel Sambo Dasuki who had earlier left office as National Security Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan.
Sultan Dasuki in the BBC interview wondered why his personal house in Sokoto was searched and said he would leave everything in the hands of God.
Sambo his eldest son was still in detention at the time of his death despite having been granted bail by different courts.
Dasuki was the first Sultan from the Buhari line of the house of Dan Fodio and he was a close associate of Ahmadu Bello, a friend of Abubakar Gumi and was influential in the founding of Jama’atu Nasril Islam.
After the death of Abubakar Siddique, the 17th Sultan of Sokoto on November 1, 1988, Dasuki was among the leading contenders to become the new Sultan.
Some of his opponents included Shehu Malami and future Sultan, Muhammadu Maccido.
Maccido was the son of Abubakar Siddique and he was popular among the populace in Sokoto.