Nigeria: Controversial Kano Cleric, Nasir, Is Dead

His funeral prayer will hold on Thursday at 9 a.m. at the Emir of Kano's palace, Mr Ubale said.

Nasir Nasir, a controversial Kano Islamic cleric, is dead.

One of his students, Nazifi Ubale, confirmed the development to PREMIUM TIMES Wednesday evening.

He said the cleric died at his Court Road residence in the Kano metropolis. He was 87.

Mr Nasir was the chief imam of Fagge Jumma'at Mosque in Fagge Local Government Area of Kano.

His funeral prayer will hold on Thursday at 9 a.m. at the Emir of Kano's palace, Mr Ubale said.

The late cleric, a close friend to the late emir of Kano, Ado Bayero, was known for holding longer than necessary weekly congregational jummah prayers.

Some of his congregants criticised him for preventing them from returning to their businesses by prolonging his prayers.

At a time, the late Emir of Kano had to preside over the jummah prayer in the Fagge mosque to appease his congregants and pleaded on his behalf.

The late Emir later appointed him as the 'Wazirin Kano' a kingmaker following the death of seat occupant Isah Waziri on 2 August 2013, Daily Trust reported. However, the then-governor of Kano, Rabiu Kwankwaso, rejected the appointment citing security reasons.

The state government reportedly opposed the choice of Mr Nasir as the Waziri of Kano, but the late Emir insisted he turbaned the late cleric as the Waziri at a brief ceremony held at the emir's palace.

He was subsequently sacked as the Waziri by the Kwankwaso's administration. But the late cleric, afterwards, insisted that he remained the Wazirin Kano even after another person was appointed.

"It was the emir who appointed me, and I'm just hearing it from you that the state government is against my appointment. My appointment as Wazirin Kano is the will of God. If you do not believe in what He did, then He will deal with you Himself," Daily Trust quoted him saying.

The death of Mr Nasir was announced exactly Nine years and a day when the late Emir Bayero died.

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