The Emir of Zuru in Kebbi State, Major General Muhammadu Sami (retired), has died in a London hospital after a brief illness. He was 81.

The announcement was made on Sunday by the Kebbi State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Garba Umar-Dutsinmari, in a statement issued through Ahmed Idris, Chief Press Secretary to the state governor.

The commissioner described the late emir as a distinguished traditional ruler and former senior military officer whose death is a great loss to the Zuru Emirate, Kebbi State, and Nigeria at large. He also conveyed the condolences of the state government to the emir’s family, the Zuru Emirate Council, and the people of Kebbi.

“May Almighty Allah forgive his shortcomings and grant him Jannatul Firdaus,” Umar-Dutsinmari said, while noting that burial arrangements would be announced later.

Born in 1944, Muhammadu Sami joined the Nigerian Army on 10 December 1962 and was commissioned on 25 July 1963 after training at the Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot, England. He later attended several courses both at home and abroad as he rose through the ranks of the Nigerian Army.

His military career was marked by key command and administrative roles. Between 1984 and 1985, he served as the Military Administrator of Bauchi State. He also held appointments at the Nigerian Army School of Infantry and later commanded units in the 82nd Division. In 1988, he became the General Officer Commanding 1 Mechanised Division, one of the army’s most important formations.

Following his retirement from active military service, he was appointed Emir of Zuru in 1995, a position he held for three decades until his death. As a traditional ruler, he was widely regarded for his efforts in promoting peace, unity, and development in his emirate.

The late emir is survived by four wives and seven children.