A Zazzau prince, Bashir Aminu, has died at the age of 70, following a brief ailment.
OBSERVERS TIMES learnt that Mr Aminu who was holding the traditional title of Iyan of Zazzau, died in the early hours of Friday
The Zazzau Emirate announced this on their Twitter handle on Friday.
Inalillahi wa inna illaihir rajiun indeed from Allah we are and to him we shall return. It is with deepest regret and no pleasure that we announce the death of the most powerful traditional title holder & wealthiest prince in Northern Nigeria today, Alh Bashir Aminu Iyan Zazzau,” they wrote.
Recall that the deceased was one of the frontline contenders for the Zazzau throne, following the death of Emir Shehu Idris on September 20, 2020.
He, however, lost to the current emir, Ahmed Nuhu-Bamalli, who was appointed by the Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, a development that angered the late Iya to seek redress in court.
In a suit filed before the Kaduna State High Court on Monday, Mr Aminu sought the court to declare that, “having scored the highest number of lawful votes cast by the kingmakers and thus selected by the said kingmakers, he has thus acquired vested right to the stool of the Emir of Zazzau from the date of his selection henceforth”.
Mr Aminu was born in 1951 into the Katsinawa ruling house.
He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1975.
He is a fellow of the Institute of Financial Accountants (UK) and a fellow of the Certified National Accountants of Nigeria (CNA).
A very successful businessman, Mr Aminu was district head of Sabon Gari, Zaria, from 1979 to 2018.