Kano's district head of Dambatta, Wada Waziri, is dead

Kano State has lost another traditional ruler with the death on Wednesday of the Sarkin Ban Bichi, Wada Waziri.

Mr Waziri died at the age of 80 years due to age-related illness.

He was the district head of Dambatta and one of the kingmakers of Bichi Emirate, one of the four emirates created by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje in 2019.

A former civil servant and labour unionist, the deceased led a task force on environmental sanitation popularly known as ‘Ruwa-ruwa’ during the military government of late Hamza Abdullahi in Kano.

In his condolence message, Governor Ganduje condoled with the Bichi Emirate Council, the deceased’s family and people of the state over the death of the monarch.

“May Allah give his families, the Emirate and the state, the fortitude to bear the great loss, His death was striking to the government, traditional and political leadership in the state,” Mr Ganduje said in a statement.

He described the deceased as one of the pillars of the traditional institution in the state.

“Kano would forever remain appreciative of the contributions late Wada Waziri Ibrahim made to the development of the state and the nation in general.

“He was a great treasure as an elder, whose exemplary leadership qualities earned him all respect from his generation and the generation that follows,” Mr Ganduje said.

Kano over the last few months has lost a number of traditional rulers, with Mr Waziri’s death at least the fourth this month.

The Emir of Rano, Tafida Abubakar Illa, died at the age of 74 on May 2 at Nassarawa Specialist Hospital following an undisclosed ailment.

The day after, Isa Hashim, a retired professor who held the title of Jarman Kano in the Kano Emirate Council, died at the age of 86 in his home, following a short illness.

On May 10, Yusuf Bayero (Dan’iyan Kano), an uncle of the Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado-Bayero, died at the age of 78 after a protracted illness.