The presidency yesterday confirmed the death of two members of President Muhammadu Buhari’s extended family in Daura, Katsina State.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said the two senior members of the family died within a few hours of one another.
They are Hajiya Halima Dauda and Hajiya Ai’sha Alhaji Mamman.
Halima Dauda was the President’s niece and younger sister to his close associate and nephew Malam Mamman Daura while Ai’sha Alhaji Mamman was the wife of the President’s older brother, Alhaji Mamman.
Halima Dauda, aged 56, who has since been buried in Daura, left behind 10 children, including one of President Buhari’s Personal Assistants, Mohammed Sabi’u Tunde.
Her burial was attended by a federal government delegation led by the Chief of Staff to the President, Malam Abba Kyari.
Others on the team were the Minister of State, Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika; three Senior Special Assistants to the President, Sarki Abba, Ya’u Darazo and Garba Shehu; the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ahmed Abubakar.
Others included the State Chief of Protocol, Amb. Lawal Kazaure, the Permanent Secretary, State House Jalal Arabi, Alhaji Isma’ila Isa and Sayyu Dantata both of them businessmen.
The Buhari family had earlier on buried Hajiya Ai’sha Alhaji Mamman on Friday.
Receiving condolences on behalf of the Buhari family, Malam Mamman, 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 were the Gov. Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State, the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, and a former Military Governor of Kaduna State, retired Brig.-Gen. Jafaru Isa.