THE Kano State government, on Monday, July 3, declared tomorrow, Tuesday, July 4, as public holiday in order to mourn the passing away of Maitama Sule, an elder statesman and Danmasanin Kano, who died at the early hours of today Monday, July 3, at a Cairo hospital Egypt, where he was rushed to for medical attention.

A statement signed by Mohammed Garba, state commissioner for Information, disclosed that Sule died in Cairo during a protracted illness.

According to Garba, the late elder statesman’s body on arrival from Cairo, would lie in state for some hours at the Emir’s palace, to enable prominent Nigerians to mourn him before he would be laid to rest.

The statement said in part: “Dr. Yusuf Maitama Sule died at a hospital in Cairo, Egypt, where he was receiving treatment for an illness.

“Funeral prayer for the deceased will be conducted tomorrow (Tuesday) at the Emir’s Palace, Kofar Kudu, by 4:00pm.

“Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has declared tomorrow Tuesday a work – free day in the state to mourn the death of the elder statesman.”

Mukhtar Maitama Sule, one of his surviving sons, told journalists that the Danmasanin Kano died in the Egypt, 24 hours after his arrival at the hospital. He also said that his remains would be flown to Nigeria tomorrow for burial.

—  Jul 3, 2017 @ 14:15 GMT