Tinubu, Shettima mourn Emir of Zuru, hail service to Nigeria

By Kunle Sanni –

President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima have condoled with the government and people of Kebbi State over the death of the Emir of Zuru, His Royal Highness, Major General Muhammadu Sani Sami (Gomo II), describing him as a patriotic leader whose legacy will endure.

The traditional ruler and retired military officer died on Saturday night in a London hospital at the age of 81 after a brief illness.

In a statement issued on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu said the late Emir’s passing was “a significant loss for the country,” noting his distinguished service as a soldier during the Nigerian Civil War and later as a military governor of Bauchi State.

The President praised the monarch’s leadership, which he said brought stability and development to the Zuru Emirate and Kebbi State, and prayed for Almighty Allah to grant him eternal rest and comfort his family and subjects.

Vice President Shettima, in a separate condolence message signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, described the late Emir as “a monumental loss to Nigeria’s traditional institution and military heritage.”

“When the giant Iroko tree falls, the landscape itself is forever altered,” Shettima said, adding that Major General Sami’s military discipline and strategic thinking had strengthened traditional governance in the Zuru Emirate.

Speaking on behalf of President Tinubu, the Vice President extended condolences to the late Emir’s family, the Zuru Emirate Council, and the people of Kebbi State, praying for Allah to forgive his shortcomings and grant him Jannatul Firdaus.

Major General Muhammadu Sani Sami, who served Nigeria in uniform during the Civil War (1967–1970), was widely respected for his ability to combine military discipline with traditional wisdom in leadership.