FORMER Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has been thrown into mourning following the death of his mother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai, in a development that comes amid his ongoing legal battle.
A family source told News Point Nigeria that the late Hajiya Umma died on Friday in Cairo where she had been living with her son, since he left office as a governor in 2023.
The news was confirmed by her grandson, Bello El-Rufai, who announced the development in an emotional message shared on social media.
“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 difficult time for the former governor, who is currently facing prosecution by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
El-Rufai was recently arraigned on a 10-count charge bordering on 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.
At the last court session, a Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna adjourned hearing on his bail application to March 31.
The presiding judge, Rilwanu Aikawa, fixed the date after hearing arguments from both the prosecution and defence.
