Former Senate president,Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki on Sunday led the pack of dignitaries that attended the fidau prayer for the repose of the soul of Alhaja Rafat, mother of the former Sports minister, Mal Bolaji Abdullahi in Ilorin, Kwara State.
Other dignitaries that graced the event include former governors of Kwara State, Alh Abdulfatah Ahmed, Nigeria’ s former Ambassador to Netherland , Hajia Nimita Akanbi, former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Babatunde Mohammed, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim, former Attorney General and commissioner for Justice, Alh Saka Isau (SAN) and Hakeem Mustapha (SAN) amongst others.
Alhaja Rafat died on Wednesday at the age of 76 and was buried the same day at her Olunlade, Ilorin residence.
The fidau prayer was led by the Chief Imam of Ilorin, Sheikh Mohammed Bashir Salihu who was supported by eminent scholars including the Imam Imale of Ilorin, Alh Abdullahi AbdulHamid, Sarkin Malami of Ilorin, Imam Yakub Aliagan and the Imam Olesin, Sheikh Mohammed Sanni Olesin.
Others included the General manager of SBS FM, Ilorin, Alh Mas’ud Adebimpe, his UNILORIN FM counterpart, Alh Idris Ibrahim Aloma, the managing director of National Pilot newspapers, Alh Billy Adedamola, former general managers of The Herald and Radio Kwara, Alh Rasaq Adebayo and Alh Abdullateef Adedeji; the immediate past chairman of Kwara State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Umar AbdulWahab and the incumbent vice chairman of the union, Hajia Binta Abubakar- Mora.
The Chief Imam who extolled the virtues of the deceased prayed Allah to forgive and grant her eternal rest.
In a brief sermon, the Grand Mukadam of Ilorin, Sheikh Sulaiman Dan-Borno, charged the children of the deceased to sustain her legacies of good neighbourliness and friendly disposition to family members.
Dan- Borno reminded children of God’s commandment that they should take good care of their parents, dead or alive.
He admonished children to remember their dead parents through acts of charity and kindness to the needy.
