Abuja, Nigeria – Several top Nigerian leaders, including the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, joined mourners at the National Mosque Abuja on Sunday for the janazah prayer of Hajiya Umma El-Rufai, mother of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
Also present was Uba Sani, who arrived to a large gathering captured in a viral video circulating online, showing the turnout for the Islamic funeral rites. Hajiya Umma died on March 27 in Cairo, Egypt, after a brief illness, and her remains were flown to Abuja for burial, as confirmed by her grandson, Mohammed Bello El-Rufai.
Okay News reports that tributes poured in from across Nigeria’s political space, with Governor Sani describing the deceased as a woman of “rare grace, moral clarity, and quiet strength,” noting her legacy of faith, patience, and community harmony. Bola Ahmed Tinubu also extended condolences, sharing in the grief and praying for strength for the family.
Other prominent figures, including Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, Dikko Radda, Atiku Abubakar, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Rotimi Amaechi, and Shehu Sani, paid condolence visits to El-Rufai in Abuja, offering prayers and support to the grieving family.
Many described the loss as deeply personal and irreplaceable, highlighting the enduring legacy of the late matriarch in her family and community. Prayers were offered for Allah’s mercy upon her soul and for her to be granted Aljannatul Firdaus.
The burial comes amid ongoing legal proceedings involving Nasir El-Rufai, who was recently arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission on corruption-related charges. He was, however, granted temporary release to attend the funeral and be with his family during the mourning period.
