THE paramount ruler of Lokoja/ Maigari of Lokoja, Alhaji (Dr) Muhammad Kabir Maikarfi, who died in Abuja on Wednesday at the age of 80, has been buried according to Islamic rites.
Eminent people, including politicians, traditional rulers, Islamic clerics, government officials and other stakeholders within and outside the state, witnessed the burial which took place at the palace of the late traditional ruler at about 2 :00p.m. in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, on Thursday.
An Islamic scholar, Alhaji Khalifa AbduKadiri Zaria, from Zaria in Kaduna State, led Muslim prayers for the late traditional ruler.
The deceased was one of the longest serving traditional rulers in the state, having ascended the throne in 1992.
Secretary, Lokoja Local Government Traditional Council, Muhammed Nalado Usman, confirmed the death of the traditional ruler in a statement issued late on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has expressed sadness over the demise of the traditional ruler.
The governor, in a press statement signed on Thursday by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Muhammed Onogwu, described the late traditional ruler as one who distinguished himself as a true lover of his people and the state during his reign.
The governor noted that the late traditional ruler was a man of peace, who preached peace to his subjects, adding that he played a critical role in ensuring peaceful coexistence in all the nooks and crannies of the state.
While commiserating with the family of the late traditional ruler, the people of Lokoja and the state in general, he prayed God to grant him eternal rest.
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