Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has been thrown into mourning following the death of his mother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai, at a time he is currently facing legal challenges.
A family source disclosed that the late Hajiya Umma passed away on Friday in Cairo, Egypt, where she had been residing with her son since he completed his tenure as Kaduna State governor in 2023.
Her grandson, Bello El-Rufai, confirmed the sad development in an emotional post shared on social media, announcing the passing of the family matriarch.
“Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un. From Allah SWT we came and to Him we shall all return,” he wrote.
“I would like to inform the public of the demise of my grandmother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai, who passed away a few hours ago.
“She is the biological mother of our father, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. We are grateful for the life she lived and may Allah SWT bless her gentle soul. On behalf of our family, we seek your prayers.”
The death comes at a challenging period for the former governor, who is currently being prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
El-Rufai was recently arraigned on a 10-count charge involving alleged conversion of public property and money laundering after spending about a month in detention. He has, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.