Kaduna, Kaduna State, Nigeria — Hajiya Umma El-Rufai, the mother of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, has died, family members confirmed on Friday.
The announcement was made by her grandson in a message shared on Facebook on Friday, March 27, 2026. He disclosed that she passed away a few hours before the statement was released.
“Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un. From Allah SWT we came and to Him we shall all return. I would like to inform the public of the demise of my Grandmother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai who passed away a few hours ago,” he wrote.
He further clarified that the late Hajiya Umma El-Rufai was the biological mother of Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, who served as governor of Kaduna State in northwestern Nigeria from 2015 to 2023. He also prayed for her soul and requested prayers from members of the public.
“We are grateful for the life she lived and may Allah SWT bless her gentle soul. May He bless the soul of the parents we have lost. On behalf of our family, we seek your prayers. Thank you,” he added.
Okay News reports that further details regarding the circumstances surrounding her death were not immediately made public as of the time the announcement was issued.
The development comes at a time when Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai is reportedly involved in ongoing legal proceedings. He is currently in custody of Nigeria’s Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), an anti corruption agency, following his re arrest after an earlier detention by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), another federal anti corruption body.
The family has not yet announced burial arrangements, which in northern Nigeria are often conducted according to Islamic rites within a short period after death. Additional information is expected from relatives in the coming hours.
