Nigerian lawmaker Bello Sani is dead

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Speaker Yakubu Dogara on Wednesday mourned the passing of a lawmaker from Katsina State, Bello Sani. Mr. Sani, who until his death represented Mashi/Dvisi Federal Constituency on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, died Wednesday morning.

He was 51.

“Our late colleague was humane, principled and a cosmopolitan who interacted freely with all members,” the Speaker said in a statement while condoling with his family. Mr. Sani is the second lawmaker to die in office within the last one year, coming months after Adewale Oluwatayo from Lagos State died in Abuja.

Abubakar Adamu, an aide to the late lawmaker, told PREMIUM TIMES his principal had suffered protracted illness for several months leading to his death. Mr. Adamu said Mr. Bello’s illness became worse two weeks ago and he was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre in Kaduna.

After spending days there without much improvement, he was moved to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital on Saturday evening where he remained until his death around 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday. His remains were on the way to his hometown in Katsina State for burial, his aide said.

“He died this morning few minutes after 11:00 and we’re now taking his body to Katsina,” Mr. Adamu told PREMIUM TIMES by telephone Wednesday afternoon.

Mr. Bello’s death came six months after he was kidnapped along Kaduna-Abuja Highway.

Mr. Adamu said the deceased had barely returned to the country after spending weeks abroad for medical care when he was abducted.

“He was kidnapped in August 2016 which was just a few days after he returned from foreign trip to get medical attention,” Mr. Adamu said. “He had not been able to recover since then.”

Mr. Bello was first elected to the House in 2011 on the platform of Congress for Democratic Change. He switched to the All Progressives Congress in the run up to the 2015 elections and was re-elected for a second term in office.

Mr. Bello, whom Mr. Dogara described as a “hardworking, committed and patriotic legislator,” was survived by his wife and children.