Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja
The extended family of President Muhammadu Buhari was at the weekend in Daura, struck by tragedy, which claimed the lives of its two senior members, who died within intervals of a few hours.
In a statement, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said one of the deceased, Hajiya Halima Dauda, who had been buried in Daura ysaturday morning was the president’s niece and younger sister to his close associate and nephew, Malam Mamman Daura.
Shehu stated that Halima died at about the age of 56, leaving behind 10 children, four of them male and six female ones, including one of Buhari’s personal assistants, Mohammed Sabi’u Tunde.
According to Shehu, the burial was attended by a federal government delegation led by the Chief of Staff to the President, Malam Abba Kyari.
He listed others in the delegation to include: Senator Hadi Sirika, Minister of State for Aviation; Alhaji Isma’ila Isa and Sayyu Dantata ,both of them businessmen; three senior special assistants to the President, Sarki Abba, Ya’u Darazo and Garba Shehu; Director General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar; the Permanent Secretary, State House Jalal Arabi, and the State Chief of Protocol, Ambassador Lawal Kazaure. The other deceased person, whom Shehu said had earlier been buried by Buhari’s family since Friday, was Hajiya Ai’sha Mamman, whom he described as the wife of the president’s elder brother, Alhaji Mamman.
“Receiving condolences, Malam Mamman on behalf of the family and the Emir, Alhaji Umar Faruk for the people of Daura Emirate, thanked God for the lives of the deceased and all the visitors for sharing the moment of grief with them.
“Among those received by the family in Daura are the Governor of Bauchi State, Mohammed Abubakar, the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu and a former Military Governor of Kaduna State, Brigadier-General Jafaru Isa (rtd),†the statement added.
