The Emir of Zuru in Kebbi State, Major General Muhammadu Sani Sami (Rtd.), also known as Gomo II, is dead.

He died in a London hospital after a brief illness. He was 81.

SaharaReporters learnt that the late monarch, a retired military officer, is survived by four wives and seven children.

Confirming the death, Kebbi State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Garba Umar-Dutsinmari, said in a statement on Sunday that the state government received the news of the Emir’s passing with deep sorrow.

The government extended its condolences to his immediate family, the Zuru Emirate Council, the people of Zuru, and the entire state.

“The government prays to Almighty Allah to forgive his shortcomings and grant him Jannatul Firdaus,” the statement said.

Born in 1943, Muhammadu Sani Sami joined the Nigerian Army, where he rose to the rank of Major General before retiring into traditional leadership.

He ascended the throne as the Emir of Zuru in the mid-1990s and ruled for nearly three decades.

Reacting to the development, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah also commiserated with the people of Zuru Emirate.

In a condolence statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Muhammad Danjarida, the lawmaker described the late Emir as a noble leader whose reign brought dignity and respect to his people.

Na’Allah asserted that the loss is not only to the Zuru Emirate but also to the entire Kebbi State and Nigeria. He added that the late Emir distinguished himself both in his military service and as a traditional ruler.