The death of the traditional leader of Igbo in Sokoto ‘Onyendu Igbo’ Sokoto (formerly addressed as Ezeigbo Sokoto) Alhaji Muhammad Nwike has remained a shock to many. Nwike reportedly died last Sunday in Sokoto after a brief illness at the age of 70. He has been buried according to Islamic rites having embraced Islam since 1998 and remained a Muslim until his death.
He became the Eze Igbo of Sokoto State in 1996. The late traditional leader was a qualified medical doctor. He came out with a first class degree in Medicine and had worked in different government hospitals before setting up a private hospital, Daula Medical Centre in Sokoto with branches in Kebbi and Zamfara States. He, however, retired from practice owing to age and engaged in hotel business. He was a successful business man until his death.

He had three wives and many children. The first, whom he later divorced, had five children for him.

Amidst sobs, one of the wives Nana Asmau who spoke with Weekly Trust explains how he died.

“On Saturday by 2am I was downstairs, he called to ask me if I was not coming to bed, so I stood up and went to meet him in the room. We chatted till 3:00am. We then went to bed, I don’t know when the illness began, probably about 4:00am but at about 6am, he woke me up and said he had chest pain and that I should give him milk. I went downstairs and got him milk and asked him why he did not wake me up on time, he said I was sleeping deeply that was why. He told me the chest was paining him very much and I said God will give you relief, we went back to bed. At about 8:00 am, he woke me up to buy drugs for him, because the chest was still disturbing him. Then I went to look for drug. While still I was still trying to get the medicine to buy, he called me on phone that I should be fast as he was in pain, then I said I had been going up and down searching for where to buy drugs, because the day was Sunday and most pharmaceutical shops were closed but that I was at a chemist around the university area, they were just opening shop and I was about to buy the drug. I bought it and went back home. He said I should give him water and after taking it, he said we should go to office to take injection as it was very disturbing, I said okay let us go, he said I should hold on a bit so that he could get some relief as the pain had heightened then, and that I should put on the fan, then I did.

“After five minutes, he said we should go to office and that I should give him his clothes. When we got to the office, he opened the door and we entered together then he sat on the chair, then he said I should give him the injection. I unsealed and then gave him, then I gave him syringe, but his body was shaking, then I said the injection does not have mouth, he said I should bring another one. Then he said I think I am leaving this world today, then I said illness is not death,” he said La ila ha illallah, I said Muhammadur Rasulullah, he continued saying that until he could not speak again, then he almost fell down, but I held him very tight and laid him down gently. I then ran outside to call for help. People came around and we took him to a hospital. The doctors revived him and he was able to say La ilaha illallah and then that was all, he gave up. The doctors tried again but to no avail.”

Nana Asmau, who was married to Eze Muhammad Nwike for 12 years, described him as good, kind hearted and God fearing. She said she takes solace in the fact that he died a good Muslim and was able to recite the Kalmatu Shahada

The late Eze’s Palace Secretary, Chief Emmanuel Okereke also speaks on his death. “It was on Sunday after mass service 9:00.m, I was phoned that can I say something about my Royal Highness Eze Dr. Muhammad Nwike. I said who is on the line, somebody said he is calling from Kaduna, I said I don’t know you, he said can I confirm whether he is late or alive, I said I don’t know what you are talking about. So with that I got to his palace and confirmed through his wife that he died on Sunday morning June 17, 2012 after a brief illness.

It was a great shock, in fact up till now that I am speaking to you, I am still thinking about it.

“It’s a great lesson to me and to other people that something that is now may not be the next minute or the next hour. His death was a very great shock, honestly up till now I have not really recovered from it, because he was not sick, he was a man who talked to you very well then went about his business. Even when I saw the wife crying and shedding tears, I could not believe it until after he was buried.”

Chief Okereke recalled the last time he saw him. “He was very okay about four days before I got the information of his demise. The Igbo community in Sokoto here has just conducted election. He phoned to inform me that there is need for us to congratulate them for a successful election, so I went to him, but when he went in, he brought two copies of his letter-headed. I asked ‘why are you bringing two?’ He said I should write on one and keep the other in case it might needed. I said ‘Your Royal Highness, you have never done this, giving me two letter-headed for one particular letter, he said ‘no’, I should just keep one in case of anything, so we wrote that letter, I took the copy to him, he signed and was delivered.”

The palace Secretary who said he had known him for long, gave his view about the kind of person the late traditional leader was.

“He was a medical doctor of repute. He attended to all of us with medical needs. In fact, he was the medical doctor to the Sultanate before he went to business, so I have known him for quite a long time. He was a very reserved person, very quiet in nature, very articulate. One thing I know about him sincerely is that he was very, very intelligent, when he gets to an issue he must analyze it critically and whatever he will tell you if you don’t do that later, you will come back to what he had told you. He didn’t want to consider who you are, or whose oars is goad, he will look at issues critically and tell you what he is supposed to tell you and he will make sure that whatever he tells you will be the best. The late Ezeigbo we also call Oyendu Ndigbo of Sokoto State was such a man of people. He was reaching out to the people, he was also connecting us to government and ensuring peace, stability, unity, not only among the Igbo people in Sokoto state but also among the component members of all the ethnic groups in the state,”

Chief Okereke also disclosed what he emphasized on before his death.

“The last meeting I had with him as his palace secretary centered on how to bring reconciliation among all the disagreeing parties here in Sokoto, because here in the state we have what they call Igbo community meeting which is the authentic Igbo meeting that is supposed to see to the welfare of Igbo in Sokoto here. Then for one reason or the other there were some people who were offended, as a result they formed another Igbo group called Igbo Grassroot Association also for their welfare. It has been a problem to the late Oyendu and our last discussion centred on how to reconcile the warring parties, so that peace and unity would reign.

He said their late leader was hardworking, truthful, and that he also kept to time. “If you fix a meeting for 6am, he must be there by 5am,” adding that “through the way he conducted his activities, you will be happy that you met a man of integrity.”

Late Nwike’s associate of over 25 years, Malam Hassan Ahmed, however, said the late Igbo leader has recurring high blood pressure and was admitted in the hospital about five occasions this year as a result of that. He thinks that he may have had another recurrence that may have caused his death.

The Igbo Community Sokoto led by the President-General, Chief Paul Obi Oforkansi said they were at the residence of late Dr. Muhammed Nwike, Onyendu Igbo to register their condolence and identify with the bereaved family on hearing the death of their leader, after which a formal announcement of his death was to be conveyed to the Sultanate Council and Sokoto State governor, Alhaji Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko.




http://weeklytrust.com.ng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9735:eze-muhammad-nwike-died-reciting-the-shahada&catid=41:news&Itemid=30

May Allah forgive his sins and admit him to Al Jannah

abubello: May Allah forgive his sins and admit him to Al Jannah

Ameen

Allahu Akbar! may his soul rest in Jannatul Firdaus, and may god make our final word in this world to be Laila Illalah Muhammadur rasulullah S.A.W