A Former governor of Kano State, former Communications Minister and former presidential aspirant under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Dr. Abubakar Rimi, has died after an armed robbery attack on his way from Bauchi along Takai and Wudi road on Easter Sunday night.
Rimi died from the shock of the attack, as he was reportedly not hurt during the incident.
According to the Nigeria Police, The first civilian Governor of Kano state died of cardiac arrest last night after running into an armed robbery operation along Darki- Gadar Jana 50 kim north of Kano city.
The police image maker in Kano, SP Baba Muhammad Azare told Vanguard that the former presidential Aspirant under the platform of PDP was returning from Bauchi in company of three others when they were accosted in between two police check points at about 10.00PM and were robbed of their valuables.
The police stated that the Kano born politician, though was not physically assaulted during the incident started gasping and coughing intermittently after the incident and was rushed to a private clinics where he was treated of shock before he gave up the ghost .
SP Baba Muhammad Azare revealed that the robbers who were armed with clubs injured the late Rimi younger brother, Alhaji Sule Sa’a who was hit on the head, while another occupant of the car, Sani Mai’Masara and Alhaji Haruna, the driver were spared by the bandits.
The police image maker explained that the Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Muhammad Gana and several top senior police officers left Kano to the scene of the incident around 2.00AM with units of mobile Police officers to arrest the culprits.
The police according to the SP Baba Muhammad Azare are yet to apprehend anyone in connection with the incident while assuring the general public that they are leaving no stone unturned to get to the root of the matter.
But sources at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital told newsmen that Rimi was pronounced dead by team of Doctors at the Hospital, adding that the man gave up the ghost before getting to the hospital.
Rimi, a flamboyant and colourful politician, renegade of Malam Aminu Kano political movement, the Peoples Redemption Party was elected the first civilian Governor of Kano state in 1979, and his death came barely 4 years after his wife Sa’adatu was gruesomely assassinated by yet to be identified ‘robbers’.
Ironically, the robbers recognized him and just disposed him of his personal effects including his cell phone bofore letting him go.
The politician was travelling in his Toyota Landcruiser SUV in the company of three others when the incident occurred. They were returning to Kano after attending Rimi’s eldest daughter’s wedding.
Obviously still in great shock, reports said he ordered his driver to drive him straight to his doctor who referred him to the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, where he was pronounced dead presumably after suffering a massive stroke.
Rimi will be buried in Kano on Monday morning according to Islamic rites this morning.
A JOURNEY THROUGH RIMI’S LIFE
Alhaji Abubakar Rimi was born in 1940 in Rimi Village of Sumaila Local Government Area of Kano State, Nigeria. In the early 1960s he attended an instructor’s course at the institute of Administration, Zaria. He obtained a General Certificate of education from the University of London. In 1972, he completed a diploma in international affairs at the London institute of World Affairs, and later obtained a Masters Degree in International Relations.
In January 2006, his wife was killed at his home. His son was among those charged for the murder, but was later released.
POLITICAL CAREER
Abubakar Rimi was co-founder with the late Mallam Aminu Kano and other progressives of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP). In December 1978 he was elected the PRP’s Deputy National secretary at the party’s first national convention in Lagos. He was a PRP candidate in the 1979 General elections.
Abubakar Rimi was elected to the governorship of the old Kano State as candidate for the PRP in the second republic, a post he occupied from October 1979 – May 1983. He said to be was a liberal influence, promoting adult literacy and encouraging women to emerge from Purdah.
In 1993 Rimi was appointed minister of communications, and later was Chairman of NACB and NSPMC. He was one of the foundation members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He was the Chairman of the Finance committee of the Party at its inception and also one of its presidential candidates.
He later moved to the Action Congress (AC), but in 2007 Rimi returned to the (PDP). In December 2008, he called on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), Professor Maurice Iwu, to resign from office, citing irregularities in the previous presidential election.