Muslims on Friday in Kano attended special prayers for the late General Murtala Ramat Mohammed, organised by the Murtala Mohammed Foundation as part of activities to mark the 50th anniversary of his death.
Gen. Murtala was Nigeria’s Military Head of State from July 1975 until his assassination on Friday, 13 February 1976.
The prayer session, which was also attended by Islamic scholars and other prominent personalities, was held at the Murtala Muhammad Mosque, Tudun Maliki quarters, in the Kano metropolis.
The Chief Imam of the mosque, Sheikh Kabiru Dan-Taura, led the prayer session, which featured recitation of verses from the Holy Qur’an.
Speaking after the prayer session, Sheikh Dan-Taura said the deceased would continue to be remembered for a long time because of what he did for the country.
He said the people of Kano, and indeed all Nigerians, would continue to remember the late Murtala because of the quality of service he offered to the country during his brief reign.
“Though his leadership was brief, he impacted on the lives of Nigerians and will continue to be remembered for that,” he said.
He charged leaders at all levels to emulate the late Head of State in their leadership style, stressing, “Whoever does good will not only be remembered but will be rewarded.”
Sheikh Dan-Taura later led some of the prominent personalities and family members of the deceased who graced the occasion to the late Murtala’s grave, where they again offered another prayer for his soul.
Risqua, the son of the late Head of State who represented the family, appreciated all those who attended the special prayers, noting that fifty years after the demise of their late father, people still remember him.
“I thank the Almighty God for witnessing this prayer session. I have nothing to say to the people of Kano and Nigerians other than to appreciate them.”
In their separate remarks shortly after the prayer, two of Murtala’s cousins, Ambassador Umar Wali and Ado Kurawa, thanked all those who attended the prayers and prayed to Almighty Allah to reward them abundantly.
General Mohammed, who was the fourth Head of State, was a Nigerian military leader known for his dynamic reforms and fight against corruption.
His government initiated major civil service restructuring, created new states, moved the nation’s capital to Abuja, and championed anti-colonial struggles in Southern Africa, earning immense popularity and international stature.
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