By Salejo Kano
Thousands of mourners on Sunday converged in Kano for the third-day prayer of the late Sarkin Gabas and District Head of Kabo, Alhaji Idris Adamu Dankabo, who died last Thursday at the age of 48 following a motor accident in Kano metropolis.
The prayer session, led by Malam Umar Ali alongside other Islamic scholars, was held at the residence of the deceased’s grandfather, the late Alhaji Muhammadu Adamu Dankabo. Qur’anic recitations were offered for the repose of Idris Dankabo, his late father, and his late mother.
Among dignitaries who paid condolence visits were Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, his deputy Comrade Aminu Abdulsalam Gwarzo, former Minister of Justice Mohammed Bello Adoke, Special Assistant on Media to President Bola Tinubu Abdul’Aziz Abdul’Aziz, and former Governor of Kano State Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Others included Africa’s foremost industrialist Alhaji Aliko Dangote and former Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, Hon. Kabiru Alasan Rurum.
The late traditional ruler was laid to rest on Friday after a funeral prayer at Kofar Kudu, within the Emir’s Palace, led by Emir Muhammadu Sunusi II. The burial drew a massive crowd, reflecting the family’s wide influence across Kano and beyond.
Idris Dankabo was the eldest son of the late Alhaji Muhammadu Adamu Dankabo, the Jarma of Kano and founder of the defunct Kabo Air Limited.
The elder Dankabo was a pioneering figure in Nigeria’s aviation sector, establishing Kabo Air in 1980 and building Africa’s largest privately owned fleet of Boeing 747 jumbo jets, which operated domestic, regional, and international flights before later focusing on charter and Hajj services.
The Sarkin Gabas title, held by the late Idris, is among the senior positions in the Kano Emirate Council, carrying significant cultural and administrative responsibilities.
His untimely death is expected to leave a vacuum in the emirate’s traditional leadership, which continues to play a central role in Northern Nigeria’s socio-cultural landscape.