Niger Governor mourns as Emir of Kagara, Salihu Tanko dies

The Emir of Kagara, Alhaji Salihu Tanko, in the Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State is dead.

According to a statement on Tuesday, Niger State Governor, Abubakar Bello, portrayed the demise of the monarch as a huge loss to the Kagara Emirate and the North Central state in general.

Bello, who is the Chairman of North Central Governors Forum, stated, “We have lost a First Class Emir, a member of the State Council of Traditional Rulers, an Octogenarian and an Elder Statesman whose wise counsel has been of immense value to this administration and those before it in the state.”

He depicted the late emir as a symbol of humility and patience who brought enormous unity and progress to the Kagara Emirate.

The Governor said the late monarch would be missed and as well prayed to God to grant the soul of the departed everlasting rest.

Senator Shehu Sani also broke the news of the Emir’s death in his social media on Tuesday.

He stated that he received the news of Tanko’s death on Tuesday and prayed God to grant him Aljanna.

Sani said, “I received the sad news of the death of the Emir of Kagara,Niger State, Alhaji Salihu Tanko. May Allah grant him Aljanna firdausi.Amin.Inna lillahi wainna Illayhir rajiun.”

Tanko, who died Tuesday, in Kagara of Rafi Local Government, was born on April 5, 1930 in Tegina and left behind wives, children and grandchildren.

He was appointed District Head of Tegina in 1971 and became a second class chief of Kagara in 1982 and afterwards elevated to the status of a first-class emir in 1991.

Kagara, a rural town in Niger State, embraced the spotlight a month ago when bandits kidnapped more than 40 students and members of staff of Government Science College, Kagara.

The abduction caused violence as many Nigerians criticized the regime of the President Muhammadu Buhari for the epidemic of the kidnapping of the students which were becoming a pattern.

The Kagara hostages, were, nevertheless set free more than a week after they were held in captivity. The Kagara abduction happened nearly two months after bandits kidnapped over 300 schoolboys from Kankara in Kastina State.