The remains of the Sultan at the crash site

The remains of Sultan Muhammadu Maccido killed in a plane crash yesterday in Abuja, was laid to rest at exactly 8.30pm in Sokoto yesterday. 
The remains of Sultan Maccido and that of his grandson, Malam Umar Badamasi Maccido, arrived Sultan Abubakar International Airport, Sokoto, at about 4.45pm and were taken to the palace where the funeral prayers took place at about 7.45pm. 
Sultan Maccido 80, was finally buried at the famous Hubbare tomb where his predecessors were interred including the famous Jihadist, Sheikh Uthman Dan Fodiyo. 
The Sultan’s final two-kilometer journey from the palace to the Hubbare burial ground took about an hour because of the crowd that gathered outside. The burial prayer was led by the Chief Imam of Sultan Bello Mosque, Liman Muhammadu Akwara. 

The body of the Sultan before burial in Sokoto.

Among those who witnessed the arrival of the remains of Sultan Maccido at the airport were, Governor Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa of Sokoto state and his Kebbi state counterpart, Muhammadu Adamu Aliero, the Emir of Argungu, Alhaji Samaila Muhammadu Mera and other top government officials from Sokoto and Kebbi states. 
Meanwhile, the remains of the deputy governor of Sokoto state, Alhaji Garba Mohammed (Mni), Senator Sule Yari Gandi Sokoto East, Senator Badamasi Maccido Sokoto Central and a son to the late Sultan were yet to arrive Sokoto as at press time. 
Others confirmed dead in the crash were the Commissioner of Education, Sokoto, Dr. Sanusi Usman Junaidu, Secretary to the Sultan’s Palace, Alhaji Babuga Dange, the Magajin Rafin Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Bello Shehu, the Salama, Alhaji Ibrahim Mafara, Alhaji Abdulrahman Shagari, son to the former president, Shehu Shagari and the Executive Director (Operation), Nigeria Ports Authority, Alhaji Waisu Yaro Bodinga who is the Sarkin Fadan Sokoto. 
Again, the Personal Assistant to the Kebbi state governor, Alhaji Umar Farauk also died in the crash.  This was confirmed by the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the state governor, Alhaji Abdullahi Zuru. 
Governor Attahiru Bafarawa of Sokoto state, yesterday declared a week of mourning over the death of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Maccido, the state’s deputy governor, Alhaji Garba Mohammed and other state indigenes who died in the ADC plane crash in Abuja yesterday. 
The governor who addressed the state at about 3.30pm, said the ADC airline which was Sokoto bound and crashed shortly after take off was conveying important personalities from Sokoto among them the Sultan, the state’s deputy governor, Senator Yari Gandi and Senator Maccido and the state’s Commissioner of Education, Sanusi Usman Junaidu. 
Governor Bafarawa who was in a sober mood, said what happened was the will of Allah and called on the people of the state to pray for the souls of those who died in the ill-fated plane. 
According to Governor Bafarawa, “as Muslims and those who have total faith in Allah, we should be consoled that those who perished in the crash have answered the call of their creator who loves them best”. 

The Sultan and the Sokoto state Deputy Governor at a function in his Palace

 He appealed to all Nigerians irrespective of their religious beliefs to pray for all those who died in the crash, adding that the families of those who lost their lives in the crash “are not alone as Nigerians will share their grief for years to come”. 
Governor Bafarawa condoled the people of the state, especially families of all those who died in the plane crash from the state and urged them to use the one week period of mourning to pray for the dead.