Former Nigerian lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, has stated that Nigeria continues to suffer from the consequences of the brutal 1966 killings of political leaders, including the former Premier of Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello, widely known as the Sardauna of Sokoto.

In a post shared on his social media on Wednesday, Senator Sani reflected on Bello’s selfless service to his people and the nation, noting that despite his significant contributions, he died in poverty. Sani emphasized that Bello left behind no substantial personal assets—no house, vehicle, or business—traced to him or his family in Kaduna, where he lived and led. Instead, after his assassination, Bello’s belongings were returned to his family home in Sokoto.

Sani wrote, “For those of us in Kaduna, where the late Premier of Northern Nigeria lived, led, and was brutally murdered, we couldn’t find any house, vehicle, or company associated with his name or any of his family members. After his death, his belongings were taken to Sokoto.”

He continued, “The late Sardauna did everything for his people and his country and died a materially poor man. His murder, along with others in the 1966 coup, planted the seed of evil that still haunts our country.”

Sani concluded with a prayer for the souls of the victims of the 1966 coup: “May the souls of all the victims of the 1966 coup rest in peace. Ameen.”

On January 15, 1966, Bello was assassinated during a military coup led by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, which overthrew Nigeria’s post-independence government. Along with Bello, his close friend and Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, and many other prominent political figures from the northern and western regions were killed.

The coup marked the first military intervention in Nigeria’s politics, leading to the rise of military rule in the country.