Hajiya Sutura Shehu-Shagari, the last surviving wife of former Nigerian President Shehu Shagari, has died at 89 after a prolonged illness.
Hajiya Sutura Shehu-Shagari, the last surviving wife of Nigeria’s former President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, has passed away at the age of 89. According to PUNCH, she died around 3 p.m. on Monday after a prolonged illness.
In a statement signed by the head of the family, Capt. Muhammad Bala Shagari (retd.), the late matriarch was described as “an embodiment of grace, humility, and quiet strength, a devoted mother, grandmother, and matriarch who lived a life defined by dignity and compassion.” The family noted that her death was deeply felt by all who knew her, adding that funeral arrangements would be announced in due course.
Hajiya Sutura was the widow of Nigeria’s first democratically elected executive president, Shehu Shagari, who served from 1979 to 1983 under the National Party of Nigeria (NPN). Born on February 25, 1925, in Shagari village, present-day Sokoto State, Shagari began his career as a teacher before becoming a federal minister and later president.
His administration prioritized housing, education, agriculture, and industrialization through the “Green Revolution” policy before being toppled in a 1983 military coup led by then Major-General Muhammadu Buhari.
Shehu Shagari died on December 28, 2018, at the age of 93.