… widow yet to be released by kidnappers
The remains of former Edo State House of Assembly Speaker, Zakawanu Garuba, have been laid to rest in Auchi, Etsako West Local Government Area, with strict adherence to COVID-19 guidelines.
Garuba died after a brief illness at an Abuja hospital.
His corpse arrived Auchi on Saturday night and was immediately buried in accordance with Islamic rites.
Meanwhile, his widow, Hassana Garuba, and driver, who were abducted by kidnappers on their way to Auchi from Abuja for the burial rites, are, as of the time of filing this report, still in the custody of their abductors, according to family sources.
The kidnappers were reported to have been in dialogue with the Garuba family regarding the payment of ransom since the evening of Saturday.
He was a frontline PDP leader in Edo State and is survived by his wife, aged mother and three children. His last public appearance was at the Edo PDP governorship primary, won by Governor Godwin Obaseki.
His death, coming a few months after that of Usman Shagadi, another astute politician, has sent shock waves in the political class in Auchi and environs, as their demise has created a leadership vacuum in the ancient community.
Though rumours are rife that the former Speaker’s death was COVID-19 related, the family has, however, denied the story, insisting their son died of natural causes.
