Nasir El-Rufai’s Mother,Hajiya Umma,to be Buried in Abuja Today

​The remains of Hajiya Umma El-Rufai, the matriarch of the El-Rufai family and mother of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, arrived in Abuja on Sunday morning for funeral rites following her passing in Cairo, Egypt.

​Hajiya Umma died on Friday, March 27, 2026, after a brief illness. She had been residing in the Egyptian capital with her son since he left office in May 2023. Her grandson, Mohammed Bello El-Rufai—the member representing Kaduna North Federal Constituency—confirmed the arrival of her body via a statement on X (formerly Twitter).

​”This is to notify the general public that the remains of our grandmother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai, has safely landed in Abuja,” the lawmaker wrote, noting that the Janazah (funeral) prayer is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at the National Mosque, Abuja, with interment to follow immediately at the Gudu Cemetery.

​Compassionate Release Amid Legal Battle

​The death of the family matriarch comes at a turbulent time for the former governor. Mallam Nasir El-Rufai was recently arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on March 24, 2026. He faces a 10-count charge involving alleged corruption, money laundering, and the receipt of inflated severance pay totaling over N579 million and $1.1 million in various tranches.

ADVERTISEMENT

​While a Federal High Court in Kaduna had initially ordered his remand until a bail hearing scheduled for March 31, the ICPC granted the former governor a temporary administrative release on compassionate grounds. This allows him to perform the final burial rites for his mother and mourn with his family.

​A Nation Mourns

​Tributes have poured in from across the political spectrum. President Bola Tinubu, in a condolence message, shared his personal grief, noting that the loss of a mother is “a pain unlike any other.” Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, and Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani also paid homage to Hajiya Umma, describing her as a woman of “rare grace and moral clarity.”

​The El-Rufai family has been hit by double tragedy recently, as Hajiya Umma’s passing follows the death of her daughter-in-law, Safiya Ali Rufai, just a week prior.