- Former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami and former Kano Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso have sent condolences to Nasir El-Rufai following the death of his 100-year-old mother, Hajiya Umma.
- The ICPC granted El-Rufai temporary bail from detention, where he is facing corruption and money laundering charges, to allow him to perform funeral rites.
- The matriarch’s passing in Cairo, Egypt, comes just one week after the death of El-Rufai’s daughter-in-law, Safiya Ali Rufai.
Condolences from across Nigeria’s political spectrum have continued to pour in for the former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, following the death of his mother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the matriarch, who was approximately 100 years old, passed away on Friday, March 27, 2026, in Cairo, Egypt, after a brief illness.
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Her death was officially confirmed by her grandson, Bello El-Rufai.
Prominent political figures, including former Attorney-General of the Federation Abubakar Malami, SAN, and the 2023 NNPP presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, took to social media on Saturday to offer words of comfort. Malami described the loss as “irreplaceable” and pledged his solidarity with El-Rufai during what he termed “difficult, trying times.”
Kwankwaso echoed these sentiments, noting that Hajiya Umma left a legacy through her “remarkable children.”
The bereavement occurs at a particularly turbulent time for the former governor.
El-Rufai was arraigned on March 24, 2026, before a Federal High Court in Kaduna on a 10-count charge involving alleged corruption and money laundering.
Following the news of his mother’s demise, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) granted him temporary bail.
His son, Bashir, confirmed on Friday night that his father had been released to participate in the final funeral rites.
The El-Rufai family is currently navigating a period of intense mourning, as the matriarch’s death follows the passing of Safiya Ali Rufai, the governor’s daughter-in-law, just seven days prior.
Other national leaders, including President Bola Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar, and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, have also expressed their sympathies.
The legal proceedings against El-Rufai are scheduled to resume on March 31, 2026, for the hearing of pending applications.
