By Hussaini Ibrahim
Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has attended the funeral prayer of the District Head of Takai, Alhaji Ibrahim Sani Gaya, who died at the age of 100.
The funeral prayer was held on Monday morning at the Emir’s Palace in Gaya and led by Islamic scholar Sheikh Tijjani Bala Kalarawi, according to a statement issued on Monday by the Deputy Governor’s Public Relations Officer, Lurwanu Idris Malikawa Garu.
The governor, represented by his deputy, Murtala Sule Garo, conveyed Yusuf’s condolences to the deceased’s family, associates and people of Takai, describing the death as a significant loss to the community, the Kano Emirate and the Muslim Ummah.
He said Yusuf regarded the late traditional ruler as a respected custodian of traditional institutions whose decades of service contributed to the propagation of Islam, the promotion of peace and unity, and the preservation of cultural heritage.
Garo noted that Gaya was among the longest-serving traditional titleholders in Kano State, having held his title for 67 years and contributed to the leadership and development of his community.
He prayed for Allah to forgive the deceased’s shortcomings and grant him Aljannatul Firdaus, while asking God to give the family and the people of Kano State the strength to bear the loss.
The late Gaya was the elder brother of Senator Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya, a former governor of Kano State and former senator representing Kano South Senatorial District.
He is survived by three wives, 36 children and numerous grandchildren. He was buried at Gaya Cemetery in accordance with Islamic rites.
Garo joined traditional rulers, family members, other dignitaries and sympathisers at the funeral prayer to offer prayers for the repose of the deceased’s soul.
