His image appears on the 5 Naira note. Wanka said the deceased had stopped over in Lagos to rest before returning to Bauchi. She was 73. As Prime Minister he maintained a thoroughly dignified comportment. I should also add that regardless of whatever it was that actually did cause the death of Sir Tafawa Balewa, whether it be gun shot wounds, a bout of asthma or a fear-induced heart attack (as some have sought to argue), the fact The only surviving wife of Nigeria's first prime minister, late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Hajiya Jummai Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, is reportedly dead. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/10/mbu-osoba%E2%80%99s-agenda-remains-unknown-gambo-jimeta/ Granddaughter of the late Prime Minister, Hajiya Hajara Yakubu Wanka, confirmed the development. Hajiya Jummai Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the only surviving wife of first Prime Minister, late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, is reportedly dead. This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy McKenna, Senior Editor. Mbu didn’t say he was the source of the manner of Tafawa Balewa’s death; he said he was told by Okigbo who was told by Ifeajuna. And the truth is that the elder statesman's assertion that Sir Tafawa Balewa, the former Prime Minister of Nigeria, was not murdered by soldiers and that he in fact died of asthma is a sordid and shameful attempt at distorting history. It is nothing but historical revisionism. He’s portrait is adorned on Nigeria’s five Naira note and the former race course square in Lagos is named after him. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was born in Tafawa Balewa, North East State, Nigeria. He didn’t make a claim of it. A lot has been said recently about the death of Nigeria’s first Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. I read your comment on FFK’s facebook note. Among several forms of indigenous music, Fuji and Juju are two of its most important sounds. Mbu didn’t say he was the source of the manner of Tafawa Balewa’s death; he said he was told by Okigbo who was told by Ifeajuna. It is not true to say that there was no autopsy report. ... God of Speed Darlington, How much is your account balance? A metallic bridge linking the hostels and lecture halls collapsed at about 11.45pm on Monday following a downpour which caused flooding in the school. He was survived by his four wives Jummai, Umma, Zainab and Laraba, and 19 children. How Tafawa Balewa died is not something I want to talk about. The man was shot and his body was left to decompose. Nigeria’s first Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa was not killed on coup day, January 15, 1966, contrary to widely-held belief on the country’s first coup. Bauchi was established in 1809 as an emirate and slavery centre by a man named, Yakubu, a commander appointed by Fulani chief and Islamic leader Usuman dan Fodio. Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija. His children include Mukhtar, Sadiq, Hajia Uwani, Umar, Ahmed, Haruna, Aminu (a journalist who has since died), Hafsat, Amina, Zainab, Yalwa, Saude, Hajia Binta, Yalwa (widowed early and became an organiser of women’s education), Rabi (resisted early marriage in favour of study), Ali (died aged 9), and Hajia Talle Aishatu (now deceased). His own story is for Hajiya Jummai Aishatu Abubakar, Balewa’s last surviving widow, died on Sunday (today) at the of age 85. In an interview with Vanguard in 2010, Osoba stated, "I would not say Tafawa Balewa died of asthma for the fact that I am not a medical doctor. He just made a statement as a minister that the man died of asthma based on what he was told. In a statement, Obaseki condoled with the Balewa family over the loss, noting that the family holds a special place in the heart of Nigerians. The Home of Nigerian History and Contemporary Affairs. Balewa proposed an amendment to Nigeria’s constitution to give due recognition to the nation building role played by then Governor-General Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe. “ On the evening before the tragedy, on the 14th of January, 1966, at about 8:00pm, late Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa called and wanted to speak to the late Premier. On January 15, 1966 he was kidnapped from his official residence by armed soldiers who were executing Nigeria’s first military coup. His son at Keffi Government College did not know of his father’s death until the school caterer broke the news to him. Beside it is the home of the late district head, Mallam Ajiyah Atahiru of Tafawa Balewa LG, the man who groomed and mentored the late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. Change ). He just made a statement as a minister that the man died of asthma based on what he was told. The Christmas and New Year holidays certainly looked remarkably different this past year. Born in December of 1912 in Bauchi in Northern Nigeria, Balewa’s father, Mallam Yakubu, was a minor official in the Native Authority, part of the British colonial administration. Hajiya Jummai Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, died of cardiac arrest on Sunday in Lagos. This is why it is so important for us to learn about our history properly, to read as widely as possible and to do our own research before we just accept and believe whatever anyone may tell us about our past. I’ve read the excerpt of your book, Oil, Politics and Violence and look forward to getting a copy this week. Hajiya Jummai Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the only surviving wife of first Prime Minister, late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, is reportedly dead. That being said, I read it and did not find it particularly objective. Widow of Nigeria’s former Prime Minister, Jummai Abubakar Tafawa Balewa has been confirmed dead. Hajiya Jummai Abubakar died at a private hospital in Lagos at the age of 85, a source close to her family has disclosed. Although all of Balewa’s widows remarried after his death, their subsequent marriages collapsed and they returned to the Prime Minister’s house in Bauchi to live together. Jummai Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Hajiya Jummai Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the last surviving wife of Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, is dead. It very much presents one side of the story only. Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa’s earliest education was at a … It is simply not true to say that Ifejuana did not kill Tafawa Balewa and that the man just died of an asthma attack after being abducted. In this episode the host visits Kenya, Congo, and Ugand…. The only surviving wife of Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, is dead. His own story is for empathy. A former police commissioner of Gongola State, Babankowa served in the police since First Republic. However these hopes were dashed when his decomposing corpse was found a few days later, dumped in a roadside bush. It is simply not true to say that Ifejuana did not kill Tafawa Balewa and that the man just died of an asthma attack after being abducted. | Funny tweets we saw from Nigerians today, A socially distanced festive season with DStv, Abike Dabiri-Erewa confirms Tems and Omah Lay are free to leave Uganda, All the looks from Arise Fashion Week Day 1, Fuji: A Opera | Difference between Fuji and Juju music, #EndSARS Reloaded: why Nigerian youths need to be more strategic in holding government accountable. Babankowa, The Cop Who Found Tafawa Balewa, Okotie-Eboh’s Bodies, For Burial Today. Balewa proved unable to mitigate the growing tensions of 1964–66, manifested by a partial boycott of the election in 1964, army unrest, and outbreaks of violence in the Western Region. When cornered under intense grilling, Mbu cracked and … The Sardauna had no interest in living in the south. A few weeks ago, Matthew Mb u (a former Minister) alleged that Balewa was not killed by soldiers during Nigeria’s first military coup as has been alleged, but actually died of an asthma attack while under their custody. According to Punch Metro, the last surviving widow of the late Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa has died.Hajiya Jummai Aishatu Abubakar, Balewa’s last surviving widow, died on Sunday (today) at the of age 85. One of the gallant policemen Kano ever produced, Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmed Babankowa, who died at the age of 74. God bless you for this nice work do .Arewa leaders who died poor not like this …. How many wives did abubakar tafawa balewa have? PAY ATTENTION: My Husband Wanted To Marry A Second Wife, Here Is What I Did To Stop Him. A few weeks ago, Matthew Mb u (a former Minister) alleged that Balewa was not killed by soldiers during Nigeria’s first military coup as has been alleged, but actually died of an asthma attack while under their custody. Contrary to the widely-held belief, Nigerian soldiers did not kill the country’s first Commander- in-Chief in the bloody coup of 1966. President Muhammadu Buhari has condoled with the […] M.T. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. How Tafawa Balewa died is not something I want to talk about. Muffet’s “Let Truth Be Told” is out of print. Sir Abubakar Balewa is an outstanding hero not to be forgotten in the history of Nigeria. Your email address will not be published. He gained several awards from the British: OBE in 1952, CBE in 1955, Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in January 1960 and was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Sheffield in May 1960. In an interview with Vanguard in 2010, Osoba stated, "I would not say Tafawa Balewa died of asthma for the fact that I am not a medical doctor. Balewa joined politics in 1946. Interview with police officer that found Balewa’s body On January 15, 1966 he was kidnapped from his official residence by armed soldiers who were executing Nigeria’s first military coup. Abubakar Tafawa Balewa - The first prime minister of independent Nigeria. See: http://www.republicreport.com/exclusive-balewa-was-not-killed-by-1966-soldiers-%E2%80%94dr-mathew-t-bu/. http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/10/mbu-apologises-over-comment-on-balewas-death/. It is not true to say that there was no autopsy report. An investigation by The Nation now suggests that the late Prime Minister may have indeed been alive up to at least the 20th day of January, 1966. Read on: http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/sunday-magazine/cover/13625.html. Hajiya Jummai Abubakar, the last surviving wife to late Prime Minister of Nigeria, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, is dead On January 15, 1966 he was kidnapped from his official residence by armed soldiers who were executing Nigeria’s first military coup. Tafawa Balewa died in the early hours of Saturday January 15, 1966. A British acquaintance called him “perhaps the perfect Victorian gentleman”. It was learnt that she was taken to India to seek medical attention for her heart disease before she was later discharged some days ago. Be the first to answer! Family source disclosed that she was taken to India to seek medical attention for her heart disease before she was later discharged some days ago. Tafawa Balewa’s tomb building in Bauchi “I believe he symbolised these fine qualities,” Babatanko said. How Tafawa Balewa died is not something I want to talk about. Forty-four years after, the controversy over how Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa died may have been finally laid to rest. M.T. What are your thoughts on TB’s death. Family source disclosed that she was taken to India to seek medical attention for her heart disease before she was later discharged some days ago. Death and Beyond. According to her, she passed away in the early hours of Sunday after she went into a coma. He contested and was elected as a member of the Northern Nigerian House of Assembly. M.T. But as an eye witness, the body [of Balewa] that I saw was a fresh body. Hajiya Jummai Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the only surviving wife of first Prime Minister, late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, is reportedly dead. Femi Fani-Kayode. further learnt the late Hajiya Jummai died in Lagos in the early hours of Sunday after a protracted illness. Tafawa Balewa Was Not Killed By Soldiers: Mbu by omamokta: On Sep 05, 2010 Forty-four years after, the controversy over how Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa died may have been finally laid to rest. He didn’t make a claim of it. Hajiya Zainab, better known as Hajiya Umma, the 3rd wife of the late Prime Minister of Nigeria, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, has died. The reviews and tables of content promise much & I trust that I’ll be popping round hear to ask questions every now and then. Below is his account in an interview with Vanguard: “I remained at Sango-Ota up to January 15th 1966, the day the first military coup took place in Nigeria. This morning, one of the gallant policemen Kano ever produced, Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmed Babankowa, died at the age of 74. When cornered under intense grilling, Mbu cracked and … It’s interesting that you have witness accounts from a medical practitioner. Related Questions . To Tafawa-Balewa, it was a rhetorical question and the decision to answer or not rested on him. He was also an international statesman, widely respected […] Hall, with their school fees at Epsom College being paid by the military government of General Gowon. The bone of contention of the frequent clashes in the area has to do with the chieftaincy and ownership of Tafawa Balewa town. A former foreign minister, Mathew T. Mbu, recently said that Tafawa Balewa died of asthma attack. The point is that no other Nigerian leader ever have comported himself so well in a foreign land as Tafawa Balewa did when he visited America in 1961. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4twfjk3hoA4&feature=player_embedded. Abubakar Taf. Abubakar Tafawa Balewa furthered his education overseas at the Institute of Education, University of London after which he returned to Nigeria to assume the position of Inspector of Schools under the colonial government. January 21, 1966- Tafawa Balewa’s Dead Body Was Found Along Lagos-Abeokuta Road: True Story On the 15th of January, 1966, Nigeria witnessed her first military coup d'etat in … Was born October 1, 1912. ( Log Out /  I presume this comment is from Rosemary? http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/10/how-i-discovered-balewa%E2%80%99s-decomposing-body-babankowa/ Rumours claimed the rebel soldiers were holding him alive and that he would be released as part of a prisoner swap involving the imprisoned Chief Awolowo. His own story is for empathy. Sir, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was the first and only Prime Minister of Nigeria. Your father, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, was murdered was overthrown and murdered in a military coup on January 15, 1966, 54 years ago, what memories do you have of … Hajiya Jummai Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the only surviving wife of first Prime Minister, late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, is reportedly dead. Part 15 of the History of Africa series with Zainab Bedawi. His father worked in the house of the district head of Lere, a district within the Bauchi Emirate. Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, KBE(1) (December 1912 – January 15, 1966) was a Nigerian politician, and the only prime minister of an independent Nigeria. Contrary to the widely-held belief, Nigerian soldiers did not kill the country’s first Commander- in-Chief in the bloody coup of 1966. Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, KBE PC (December 1912 – 15 January 1966) was a Nigerian politician who was the first and only Prime Minister of Nigeria. Ahmadu Ibrahim Bello, Sardauna of Sokoto (12 June 1910 – 15 January 1966), knighted as Sir End of the road for pastor who stole neighbours' cows to pay bride price as he's arrested . In spite of that, I’m not sure which one of the three accounts to lean towards. It is believed he died in 1966. http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675061783_Abubakar-Balewa_Commonwealth-Minister%27s-Conference_Vehicular-traffic_ministers-seated. ( Log Out /  A more balanced account is in St Jorre’s The Brothers’ War. An actual participant in the coup alleges that Balewa was shot: http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/sunday-magazine/cover/14311.html. … I am also keen to get my hands on David Muffet’s Let Truth Be Told. He was missing for several days and a search for him was ordered by the new military regime headed by Major-General Aguiyi-Ironsi. Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was born in December 1912 in modern-day Bauchi State, in the Northern Nigeria Protectorate. ( Log Out /  Unlike the majority of Northern Nigerian political leaders, he was of humble background, his father having been a client to a district head. ……and another witness claims the PM was NOT shot: http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/sunday-magazine/cover/14312.html, http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/10/they-are-re-opening-an-old-wound-%E2%80%94-balewa%E2%80%99s-son-muhktar/ http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/10/they-are-re-opening-an-old-wound-%E2%80%94-balewa%E2%80%99s-son-muhktar/, http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/10/mbu-osoba%E2%80%99s-agenda-remains-unknown-gambo-jimeta/, http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/10/how-i-discovered-balewa%E2%80%99s-decomposing-body-babankowa/, http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/10/balewa%E2%80%99s-adc%E2%80%99s-statement-to-police-investigation-panel/, http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/10/mbu-apologises-over-comment-on-balewas-death/, #Nigeia’s First Coup: In Pictures, Images, and Text | Nigerian History Channel, https://maxsiollun.wordpress.com/2010/09/19/how-did-tafawa-balewa-die/, 54th Anniversary of #Nigeria’s First Military Coup | Nigerian History Channel, History of Africa (Part 15) – Kenya, Congo, and Uganda: #HistoryofAfrica, History of Africa (Part 14) – Ghana and Ivory Coast: #HistoryofAfrica, History of Africa (Part 13) – Southern Africa: #HistoryofAfrica, The Story of the #Nigerian Football Team’s UK Tour and when they Played @MarineAFC (@NGSuperEagles), History of Africa (Part 12) – Southern Africa: #HistoryofAfrica, The thread below shows: Tafawa Balewa also visited so many United States' cities, and was well received and respected everywhere he went. WHO KILLED SIR TAFAWA BALEWA? Do you have any thoughts on where I might find a copy? (1) corruption in. Tafawa Balewa didn’t get his wish to be buried at home –Yakubu, son of ex-Prime Minister. The last surviving widow of the late Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa has died. The man was shot and his body was left to decompose. But how did this gallant cop find the late Prime Minister’s body? Statement of Balewa’s ADC to the Police Originally a trained teacher, he became a vocal leader for Northern interest as one of the few educated Nigerians of his time. You are reading the books in reverse chronological order though. Hope you enjoy reading it. I hoped that I’d find material on this subject here. Hajiya Jumai Aishatu Abubakar, the last surviving wife of Nigeria’s late Prime Minister, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, has died 0n Sunday. Although the country’s Prime Minister, he was not the leader of his own party (the NPC) and thus remained in the paradoxical position of being a head of government that had to defer to, and take instructions from his boss (the Sardauna). It is nothing but historical revisionism. The gateway to the tomb, known as Wunti Gate, is a beauty. After attending Katsina Teacher Training College (1928-1933), he was a teacher and later headmaster of the Bauchi Middle School. The man was shot and his body was left to decompose. He didn't let himself or Nigeria down, unlike those after him. The last surviving widow of the late Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa has died. Even though Balewa was only the deputy leader of the NPC, the NPC leader the Sardauna of Sokoto sent Balewa to Lagos to become the federal Prime Minister in 1957. Tafawa Balewa died in the early hours of Saturday January 15, 1966. I welcome them. ( Log Out /  She said Jummai died of cardiac arrest. I’ll order St Jorre’s in addition to OPV. Here's a detailed biography of Alhaji Sir. http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/10/balewa%E2%80%99s-adc%E2%80%99s-statement-to-police-investigation-panel/ A former foreign minister, Mathew T. Mbu, recently said that Tafawa Balewa died of asthma attack. Your best bet for reading it is to go to a library. Answer. It is not true to say that there was no The man was shot and his body was left to decompose. His corpse was taken to Ikeja airport in the company of Police Commissioner Hamman Maiduguri, Inspector-General of Police Kam Selem, Maitama Sule and his wives Laraba and Jummai who accompanied it as it was flown to Bauchi where he was buried. Balewa's father, Yakubu Dan Zala, was of Gere ethnicity, and his mother Fatima Inna was of Gere and Fulani descent. It is not true to say that there was no autopsy report. Rather, Prime Minister Balewa succumbed to asthma, according to a key player in his government. Jummai Aishatu, the last surviving widow of Nigeria’s former Prime Minister, Tafawa Balewa has died. Balewa proposed that “Nnamdi Azikiwe shall be deemed to have been elected President and Commander in-Chief of the Armed Forces” because “Nigeria can never adequately reward Dr. Azikiwe” for the nationalist role he played in building Nigeria and achieving independence. By all means, feel free to ask questions. Even though he did not agree with Mathew Mbu that Tafawa Balewa died of asthma, he clearly agreed that the Prime Minister was not killed on 15th … Matthew Mbu apologises for his comment about Balewa’s death Eyes Of Lagos gathered she was taken to India to seek medical attention for her heart disease before she was later discharged some days ago. Without answering the Major, he gently alighted from the car and ambled towards the darkness as Ifeajuna watched anxiously, oblivious to what the prime minister was up to. “Especially transparency. Mbu didn’t say he was the source of the manner of Tafawa Balewa’s death; he said he was told by Okigbo who was told by Ifeajuna. How many wives has he had? The Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has mourned the passing of Jummai Aishatu Balewa, the last surviving wife of Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Tafawa Balewa, who died on Sunday, October 27, 2019. His body now lies inside a tomb declared a national monument. Learn more.. Here’s a detailed article about Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa – the first Prime Minister of Nigeria, his speech at the first Nigeria Independence day on October 1 st 1960, how he became the first Leader in Nigeria and more. He was born on December 1912 in Bauchi, the then Northern Nigeria in what is now known as Bauchi State, to Bageri Muslim, the then district head of the Bauchi divisional district of Lere. Asked by Wiki User. Forty-four years after, the controversy over how Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa died may have been finally laid to rest. The Nation has interviewed two more witnesses. But as an eye witness, the body [of Balewa] that I saw was a fresh body. It is simply not true to say that Ifejuana did not kill Tafawa Balewa and that the man just died of an asthma attack after being abducted. It is simply not true to say that Ifejuana did not kill Tafawa Balewa and that the man just died of an asthma attack after being abducted. Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was the first Prime Minister of Nigeria before and after Nigerian independence from Great Britain in 1960. When Nigeria became independent in 1960, he became the newly independent country’s first Prime Minister and received the instruments of independence from Princess Alexandria (cousin of Queen Elizabeth II). The famous race course square in Lagos was renamed “Tafawa Balewa Square” in his memory. And the truth is that the elder statesman's assertion that Sir Tafawa Balewa, the former Prime Minister of Nigeria, was not murdered by soldiers and that he in fact died of asthma is a sordid and shameful attempt at distorting history. The overwhelming evidence (from people who actually saw Balewa’s corpse) is that he was SHOT dead. In 2011, 38 people died in violence that began after an argument in a snooker hall, and Kutaru, Malanchi, Gongo, Gumel, and Gital villages were burned down in a reprisal attack. Then Femi Fani-Kayode (son of “Fani Power:) posted a rebuttal of Mbu’s claims: http://allafrica.com/stories/201009060284.html.