A former Nigeria’s minister of finance and Sardaunan Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji, who died on Thursday at in Abuja, has been buried in Sokoto on the same day in accordance with Islamic rites.
The funeral prayer was led by the Chief Imam of Sultan Bello Juma’at Mosque, Sokoto, Sheikh Muhammad Bello Akwara.
The prayer was attended by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Also in attendance were the ministers of Labour and Employment, Alhaji Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, and of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu.
The Deputy Governor of Sokoto state, Engr. Idris Muhammad Gobir, represented Gov. Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto, who is out of the country.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, the Speaker of the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Tukur Bala Bodinga, and other dignitaries from across Nigeria also attended the funeral prayer.
Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji served as Nigeria’s minister of finance from 1988 to 1992. He was also Nigeria’s former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
As Sardaunan Sokoto, he was a respected elder statesman and prominent title holder in the Sokoto Caliphate, and recipient of the Queen traditional title, Knit of the British Empire