Sa’adu Abubakar
Encyclopedia
Amirul Mumineen Sultan Muhammadu Sa'ad Abubakar III (born August 24, 1956 in Sokoto
) is the 20th Sultan of Sokoto, the titular ruler of Sokoto in northern Nigeria
, head of Jama’atu Nasril Islam
(Society for the Victory of Islam - JNI), and president-general of the Nigerian National Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA). As Sultan of Sokoto, he is considered the spiritual leader of Nigeria's 70 million Muslims
, roughly 50 percent of the nation's population. On November 2, 2006, Sa'adu Abubakar succeeded his brother, Mohammadu Maccido, who died on ADC Airlines Flight 53
, becoming the heir of the title since the son and the grandson of his brother also died in the accident; the flight crashed shortly after takeoff from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport
and had been destined for Sokoto.
, who held the Sultanate for over fifty years. Abubakar began his military career in 1975 and was commissioned a second lieutenant two years later. After that he served in the elite Armoured Corps. He did military training overseas, including in India and Canada. He headed a presidential security unit of the Armoured Corps that guarded then military ruler General Ibrahim Babangida
in the late 1980s. Abubakar also commanded a battalion of African peacekeepers in Chad during the early 1980s as part of the Organisation of African Unity's force and was military liaison officer for the West African regional body ECOWAS in the mid 1990s. In addition to that, he served with West Africa's peacekeeping force in Sierra Leone and was Nigeria's military attaché to Pakistan when he was recalled to take office as the 20th Sultan of Sokoto.
Sokoto
Sokoto is a city located in the extreme northwest of Nigeria, near to the confluence of the Sokoto River and the Rima River. As of 2006 it has a population of 427,760...
) is the 20th Sultan of Sokoto, the titular ruler of Sokoto in northern Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, head of Jama’atu Nasril Islam
Jama’atu Nasril Islam
Jama’atu Nasril Islam is an umbrella group for the Muslim community in Nigeria. The organisation is based in the city of Kaduna, and its president is the Sultan of Sokoto. The organisation conducts Islamic education and missionary work in the region, and has had particular success amongst recent...
(Society for the Victory of Islam - JNI), and president-general of the Nigerian National Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA). As Sultan of Sokoto, he is considered the spiritual leader of Nigeria's 70 million Muslims
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, roughly 50 percent of the nation's population. On November 2, 2006, Sa'adu Abubakar succeeded his brother, Mohammadu Maccido, who died on ADC Airlines Flight 53
ADC Airlines Flight 53
Aviation Development Company Airlines Flight 53 was a scheduled passenger flight operated by ADC Airlines that crashed on 29 October 2006 shortly after take-off from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, Nigeria, at around noon local time . Immediately after takeoff from Abuja, the Boeing...
, becoming the heir of the title since the son and the grandson of his brother also died in the accident; the flight crashed shortly after takeoff from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport
Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport
Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport is an international airport located in Abuja, FCT, Nigeria, and is the main airport serving the Nigerian capital city. It was named after Nigeria's first President, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe. It consists of an international and a domestic terminal. Both terminals...
and had been destined for Sokoto.
Biography
Sa'adu Abubakar is a younger son of the 17th Sultan, Siddiq Abu Bakar dan UsumanSiddiq Abubakar III
Sir Siddiq Abubakar III was a Nigerian Muslim leader. He served as the sultan of Sokoto between 1938 and 1988.~Nigerian Muslim leader, Sultan of Sokoto....
, who held the Sultanate for over fifty years. Abubakar began his military career in 1975 and was commissioned a second lieutenant two years later. After that he served in the elite Armoured Corps. He did military training overseas, including in India and Canada. He headed a presidential security unit of the Armoured Corps that guarded then military ruler General Ibrahim Babangida
Ibrahim Babangida
General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida CFR DSS mni , popularly known as IBB, was a Nigerian Army officer and military ruler of Nigeria...
in the late 1980s. Abubakar also commanded a battalion of African peacekeepers in Chad during the early 1980s as part of the Organisation of African Unity's force and was military liaison officer for the West African regional body ECOWAS in the mid 1990s. In addition to that, he served with West Africa's peacekeeping force in Sierra Leone and was Nigeria's military attaché to Pakistan when he was recalled to take office as the 20th Sultan of Sokoto.
External links
- Profile: Muhammed Sa'adu Abubakar BBC News, Thursday, 2 November 2006, 10:30 GMT