Former Sultan of Sokoto, Ibrahim Dasuki dies at 92

Former Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki, is dead.He died yesterday at 92. His remains are to be buried today according to Islamic rites.

The late Dasuki, the first from the Buhari line of the Dan Dodio House, was the 18th Sultan. He was installed on December 6, 1988 but deposed in 1996 by the late Gen. Sani Abacha regime.He was succeeded by Sultan Mohammed Maccido, who died 10 years ago in an air crash.  Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar III was then installed.

The late Dasuki was born on December 31 1923 in Dogon Daji, Sokoto. He was the son of Haliru Ibn Barau who held the title of Sarkin Yamma and who was the district head of Dogon Daji. He started Quaranic education in 1928. In 1931, he attended Dogondaji Elementary School before proceeding to Sokoto Middle School in 1935. He finished his secondary education at Barewa College on a sponsorship from Sokoto Native Authority.He worked as a clerk in the treasury office of the Sokoto Native Authority as it was the tradition in Northern Nigeria for grant recipients to work for their sponsors, their respective Native Authorities.

However, in 1945, he took up appointment with Gaskiya Corporation, a publishing house that published the Hausa daily, Gaskiya Ta Fi Kwabo. In 1953, heeding the call by Ahmadu Bello for Northern Nigeria citizens to take up appointment in the regional civil service, he joined the service as an executive officer. A year later he became private secretary to Ahmadu Bello.

In 1957, he filled the position of regional executive council deputy secretary and a year later he was sent to Jeddah as Nigeria’s pilgrimage officer. Between 1960 and 1961, he worked in the Nigerian embassy in Khartoum, Sudan and was later brought back to Nigeria by Ahmadu Bello to work as resident in Jos, later on, he became the permanent secretary in the regional Ministry of Local Government. Dasuki later switched to the Ministry of Commerce in 1965 as its permanent secretary.