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The Emir of Ngazargamu in Yobe State, Alhaji Ahmad Tijjani Ibn Saleh Geidam, Tuesday, died in a medical facility in Cairo, Egypt, after a prolonged illness.
His son and General Manager of Yobe State Road Maintenance Agency, Tijjani Bala, confirmed the development in a statement issued in Damaturu.
“With profound sorrow and total submission to the will of Almighty Allah, I announce the passing of my beloved father and traditional ruler, His Royal Highness Alhaji Ahmad Tijjani Ibn Saleh, the Emir of Ngazargamu, who returned to his Creator today, June 9, 2026, in Cairo, Egypt, after a protracted illness,” Bala said.
He described the late emir as a father, mentor, and traditional ruler whose life was marked by wisdom, humility, courage, and dedication to the service of his people.
“His fatherly guidance, leadership, and legacy will remain a source of inspiration to us all,” he added.
The Ngazargamu Emirate Council also officially announced the monarch’s passing in a statement signed by the Waziri of Ngazargamu, Muhammad Baba-Kankare.
The council expressed deep sorrow over the death of the traditional ruler, describing him as a revered leader and custodian of the rich cultural heritage of the historic Ngazargamu Emirate.
“The Ngazargamu Emirate Council regrets to announce the passing of His Royal Highness, Mai Ngazargamu, Alhaji Tijjani Ibn Saleh Geidam, who died in Egypt after a protracted illness,” the statement read.
The council disclosed that the remains of the late emir would be repatriated to Nigeria for funeral rites in Damaturu, with the date and time to be announced later.
It called on residents of the emirate and the wider public to offer prayers for the repose of the soul of the deceased monarch.
“The Emirate Council calls for prayers for the repose of the soul of this great leader, our respected traditional ruler and custodian of the rich tradition and culture of the historic Ngazargamu Emirate,” the statement added.
The late emir’s family also prayed for Allah to forgive his shortcomings, grant him Al-Jannatul Firdaus, and give the family and people of the emirate the strength to bear the loss.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has expressed grief over the death of the emir
Tinubu, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the late emir as a father, mentor and custodian of tradition whose life was devoted to the service of his people and humanity.
“His Royal Highness embodied wisdom, humility, courage and unwavering dedication to his subjects,” the President said.
“He provided fatherly guidance and leadership that will remain a source of inspiration to the people of Gazargamu and Yobe State.”
The President extended his condolences to the Ngazargamu Emirate Council, the immediate and extended royal family, the government and people of Yobe State, and all subjects of the emirate.
“I pray Almighty Allah to forgive his shortcomings, accept his good deeds, and grant him Al-Jannatul Firdaus. May Allah also grant the family and the entire emirate the fortitude to bear this painful loss,” Tinubu added.
President Bola Tinubu has vowed never to succumb to terrorism, banditry or any form of criminal intimidation, promising to intensify efforts at reducing the economic hardship confronting Nigerians.
Tinubu made these remarks through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, on Sunday at the National Inter-Denominational Church Service held at the National Christian Centre in Abuja, as part of activities marking the 2026 Democracy Day celebration.
The service, themed “God of Hope, Actualise Our Dreams,” was attended by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Okezie Kalu, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack.
The SGF, while delivering President Tinubu’s message, congratulated Nigerians on 27 uninterrupted years of democratic rule since 1999, describing the milestone as a testament to the resilience and sacrifices of citizens who fought for the restoration of democracy.
Read Also: Umahi Unveils New Security Plan For Key Nigerian Highway
He paid tributes to pro-democracy activists of the June 12 struggle, noting that many endured persecution, injuries and death in that quest.
According to him, the government was fully aware of the economic strain, insecurity, kidnappings and displacement affecting communities across the country.
“The government is sensitive to all these pains, shares in these pains and has heard your cries,” he said, adding that Tinubu was addressing the challenges with compassion and a strong sense of responsibility.
Speaking on security, the President described recent attacks and abductions as painful reminders that more work remained to be done, but assured citizens that the safe return of all persons in captivity remained a national priority.
He added security agencies were being supported with the necessary resources to protect lives, secure communities and preserve Nigeria’s territorial integrity.
“The government of Nigeria shall never succumb to terror, banditry or any form of criminal intimidation,” he declared.
Nigeria’s federal government has designated the Mararaba-Keffi Road as the testing ground for a nationwide highway surveillance program that, if rolled out as planned, would install closed-circuit television cameras along every major transportation corridor in the country — an ambition Works Minister David Umahi framed Saturday as a direct presidential directive, not a ministry initiative.
The scope of what President Bola Tinubu is asking for is considerable.
Umahi, speaking during a site inspection of the Mararaba-Keffi reconstruction project, said the president wants CCTV coverage on all federal routes — and that the Abuja-Keffi corridor will serve as the template for how that coverage is built and operated.
The surveillance infrastructure, he said, would be solar-powered, integrated with observation facilities, and linked to security agencies capable of monitoring road activity in real time. Rapid-response mechanisms would be embedded in the system to reduce emergency response times on highways where incidents currently go undetected for extended periods. The program will not rely on the police alone.
Umahi disclosed that the federal government is working with the Nigeria Police Force to revive the Highway Patrol and Safety Unit — a department that has existed on paper within the police structure but has functioned at diminished capacity for years.
The CCTV network, in the minister’s framing, is the hardware side of a security architecture that requires the highway patrol’s revival as its human infrastructure. One without the other, he suggested, produces surveillance footage without the response capacity to act on it.
The Mararaba-Keffi corridor connects the Federal Capital Territory to Nasarawa State and carries heavy daily traffic through one of the more congested approach routes into Abuja. Its selection as the pilot site reflects both its strategic visibility and its ongoing reconstruction — conditions that allow surveillance infrastructure to be embedded during active construction rather than retrofitted after completion. Umahi drew a direct parallel to the second Niger Bridge, which he said had been equipped with similar observation and CCTV capacity as a reference model.
The construction itself has produced results that the minister found worth acknowledging publicly.
