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

Hajiya Umma El-Rufai, mother of the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasiru El-Rufai, is scheduled to be interred in Abuja today, Sunday. The family announced in a statement released early this morning that her funeral prayer (Janazah) will be held at the National Mosque in Abuja.

According to the statement, which was signed by Honourable Bello El-Rufai, a member of the House of Representatives and grandson of the deceased, the prayers are slated to commence at 1:00 PM sharp.

Following the funeral prayers, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai's remains will be transported to Gudu Cemetery for burial, in accordance with Islamic rites.

The family expressed profound gratitude for the immense support, prayers, and condolences received during this period of mourning. They prayed for divine forgiveness for her shortcomings, for her grave to be spacious, and for her to be granted the highest level of paradise.

The statement read in part: "In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un. On behalf of the elders and the entire family, we wish to formally announce the Janazah Prayer for our beloved grandmother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai, who returned to her Creator yesterday.

"The Janazah Prayer will take place as follows: National Mosque Abuja, on Sunday, 29th March, 2026 by 1:00 pm prompt, and burial at Gudu Cemetery (follows immediately after)."

Daily Trust recalls that the matriarch of the El-Rufai family passed away while receiving medical attention in Cairo, Egypt. The news of her death came hours after her son, Malam Nasiru El-Rufai, was released from detention after more than a month.

Several prominent figures, including President Bola Tinubu, Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State, and Malam Nuhu Ribadu, have extended their condolences to the El-Rufai family. Additionally, notable personalities, such as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Uche Nnaji, visited El- Rufai at his Abuja residence to offer their sympathies.