The Emir of Zurmi in Zamfara State, Bello Suleiman, has died after five years on the throne.
The monarch died on Monday afternoon at the Federal Medical Centre in Gusau, the state capital, according to a statement from the emirate palace.
Suleiman became emir in 2021 after taking over from his uncle, Abubakar Atiku. The state government removed Atiku that year and formally deposed him in April 2022.
Atiku was removed alongside the Emir of Dansadau, Hussaini Umar. Both monarchs were accused of links with banditry and interfering with security operations. Atiku later died in a hospital in Egypt.
Suleiman’s reign was also marked by serious insecurity in Zurmi.
In May 2024, bandits attacked the town, raided the emir’s palace, killed three security personnel at the entrance and abducted several residents.
Those kidnapped included the emir’s chief detail, Buhari Yusuf, as well as Aliyu Ahmed and Sa’idu Lawali.
The attackers also vandalised a telecommunications facility to disrupt communications and stop security forces from responding.
Residents said the bandits accused the late monarch of failing to act over alleged maltreatment of Fulani residents by local vigilantes.
Zurmi lies near Nigeria’s border with Niger Republic and shares a boundary with Katsina State. It is Zamfara’s second-most-populated town after Gusau.
