The palace announced the traditional ruler’s death in a statement issued on Monday. According to the statement, he passed away on Monday afternoon at the Federal Medical Centre in Gusau, the state capital.
Suleiman spent five years on the throne. He succeeded his uncle, Abubakar Atiku, who was deposed by the Zamfara State Government in 2021 and formally removed in April 2022. Atiku was removed alongside the Emir of Dansadau, Hussaini Umar, over alleged links to banditry and interference with security operations. Atiku later died in a hospital in Egypt.
In May 2024, bandits attacked Zurmi, ransacked the emir’s palace, killed three security personnel at the gate, and abducted several residents. Among those taken were the emir’s chief detail (Shamaki), Buhari Yusuf, as well as Aliyu Ahmed and Sa’idu Lawali. Residents said the attackers accused the late monarch of indifference to the alleged maltreatment of Fulani residents by local vigilantes.
Zurmi, situated along the border with the Niger Republic and sharing a boundary with Katsina State, is the second most populous town in Zamfara State after Gusau.
