- The Emir of Zurmi, Bello Suleiman, died on Monday afternoon at the Federal Medical Centre in Gusau, Zamfara State
- Suleiman had reigned for five years after replacing his uncle, who was deposed over alleged ties to banditry in 2021
- In May 2024, bandits attacked Zurmi, ransacked the emir’s palace, and abducted several residents including the emir’s chief detail
The Emir of Zurmi in Zamfara State, Bello Suleiman, has died. A statement from the palace confirmed that the traditional ruler passed away on Monday afternoon at the Federal Medical Centre in Gusau, the state capital. He had spent five years on the throne.
Suleiman rose to the position after his uncle, Abubakar Atiku, was deposed by the Zamfara State government in 2021 and formally removed in April 2022. The deposition came alongside that of the Emir of Dansadau, Hussaini Umar, with both men accused of maintaining links to banditry and undermining security operations in the region. Atiku later died in an Egyptian hospital.
Zurmi palace attack of May 2024
The late emir’s reign was marked by a violent episode in May 2024, when armed bandits stormed Zurmi and overran the emirate palace. Three security personnel stationed at the gate were killed during the raid. Among those abducted were the emir’s chief detail, known as the Shamaki, Buhari Yusuf, along with two other men, Aliyu Ahmed and Sa’idu Lawali.
The attackers also vandalised a local MTN telecommunications facility to cut off communication and block security reinforcements from reaching the town. Residents said the bandits were motivated in part by grievances over the alleged maltreatment of Fulani residents by local vigilante groups, and that the emir himself had been a target for abduction during the incursion.
Zamfara: About Zurmi
Zurmi sits along the border with the Niger Republic and shares a boundary with Katsina State. It is the second most populous town in Zamfara State after Gusau, a location that has made it vulnerable to cross-border criminal activity over the years.
The death of Bello Suleiman marks another chapter of instability for a traditional institution that has seen significant turmoil since 2021, from a disputed succession to a brazen armed assault on its palace grounds.
Source: Legit.ng