Ex-Presidential Aspirant and Minister, Umaru Shinkafi Passes Away in London

 

An influential politician and former presidential aspirant, Umaru Shinkafi, has passed away in London on Wednesday after a prolonged illness.

 

According to TheCable News, the former minister of internal affairs died at Harefield Hospital, Middlesex, UK, around 4:00pm after battling multiple diseases that affected his internal organs.

 

It was gathered that he was initially treated in Lagos but was flown abroad six months ago when his health did not improve.

 

Recall that the Northern statesman who had a title of 'The Marafan Sokoto', was the vice-presidential candidate of Olu Falae in the APP/AD alliance in 1999, although they lost to the Olusegun Obasanjo/Atiku Abubakar PDP ticket.

 

He was also the director-general of the secret police, the Nigeria Security Organisation (NSO), the forerunner of the Department of State Services (DSS), from 1979 to 1983.

 

He was running neck-and-neck with Adamu Ciroma in the race for the presidential ticket of the National Republican Convention (NRC) in 1992 before the military government cancelled the primary.

 

He will be buried on Friday.