Hajiya Saratu Shagari, the last surviving wife of the late former President Shehu Shagari, has passed away at the age of 89.
Her death was announced in a statement on Monday by the eldest son of the late President, Captain Mohammed Shagari (retd.), who said she died at exactly 3:00 p.m. after a prolonged illness.
‘With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of Hajiya Saratu Shehu Shagari, the last surviving wife of the former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari, GCFR, Turakin Sokoto’, the statement read.
Captain Shagari described his mother as ‘an embodiment of grace, humility, and quiet strength who lived a life of dignity and service’.
He said funeral arrangements would be announced in due course.
Born in Sokoto, Hajiya Saratu lived a largely private life, supporting her husband through his political journey, from teacher and regional minister to Nigeria’s first democratically elected executive president.
The late President Shagari led Nigeria from 1979 to 1983 under the National Party of Nigeria before his government was overthrown in a military coup led by the late Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.
Shagari died in December 2018 at the age of 93.
Hajiya Saratu’s death marks the end of an era for the Shagari family and closes a significant chapter in Nigeria’s political history.
