Buhari’s Family Loses 2 Members Within Hours; Atiku Sympathizes

President Muhammadu Buhari’s extended family has been struck by the loss of two senior members who died within a few hours of one another.

The Presidential spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, in a statement today, Saturday, said that Hajiya Halima Dauda who was buried in Daura in the early hours of today, Saturday, is the President’s niece and younger sister to his close associate and nephew, Malam Mamman Daura.

He said that the President’s niece died at about the age of 56, leaving behind 10 children, four of them male and six female, including one of President Buhari’s Personal Assistants, Mohammed Sabi’u Tunde.

According to Garba Shehu, the burial of Hajiya Halima was attended by a Federal Government delegation led by the Chief of Staff to the President, Malam Abba Kyari. Others on the team were Senator Hadi Sirika, Minister of State in charge of 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; the 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 Presidential spokesman said that Buhari family had yesterday, Friday, buried Hajiya Ai’sha Alhaji Mamman, saying that she was the wife of the President’s elder brother, Alhaji Mamman.

The statement said that Malam Mamman who received the delegation 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, retired Brigadier-General Jafaru Isa.

Meanwhile, the former Vice President and chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has commiserated with President Buhari over the passing on of his sister in-law, Hajiya Aisha Mamman.

Atiku, who holds the traditional title of Waziri Adamawa, took to his Twitter handle @atiku today, Saturday to express his condolences to President Buhari.

He twitted: “@atiku On behalf of the Abubakar family, I commiserate with @NGRPresident @MBuhari over the passing on of his sister in-law, Hajiya Aisha Mamman. May Allah grant her Aljannah Firdaus, and grant the Danbaffale Mamman family in Daura the fortitude to bear the loss. Ameen.”

“@atiku Malam Yusuf Buratai, a World War II Veteran and father of COAS Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai will be remembered for his services to keep country and the world safe and united. May Allah grant him Aljannah Firdaus. Ameen.” [myad]