The renowned Kano businessman and Islamic Cleric, Isyaku Rabiu, who passed-on on Tuesday in a London hospital will be buried according to Islamic rites on Friday.

This is contained in a statement released by the Rabiu family on Wednesday in Lagos.

Rabi’u, 93, died in a London hospital after a protracted illness.

He is survived by his wives, 42 children amongst whom are his first son, Nafiu Rabiu; Founder & Chairman of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu and chairman of IRS Airlines, Rabiu Isyaku Rabiu among others.

The deceased was born in 1925 to the family of prominent Islamic scholar, Muhammadu Rabiu Dan Tinki, from Bichi, Kano State.

He moved to Maiduguri in 1942 to further his Islamic studies and in 1946, he returned to Kano to establish himself as an Islamic scholar and by 1949 he had become an independent teacher of Arabic and the Quran.

In the early 1950s, Khalifa Sheikh Rabi’u ventured into commercial enterprise and established Isyaku Rabiu & Sons in 1952.

He was later made Khalifa (Leader) of the Tijjaniyya Islamic sect in Nigeria by leaders of the Tijjaniyya Islamic Movement in Tunisia in the early 1990s.

A devout Muslim and philanthropist, Rabi’u was committed to the propagation of Islam and helping the needy and until his death he lived in his Goron Dutse residence in Kano metropolis.

Condolence registers have since been opened at IRS & BUA Group offices nationwide.

NAN