By Segun Adewale, Gombe
The Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) and Governor of Gombe State, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has expressed deep grief over the death of the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Arewa Traders Association and National President of the Harmonised Traders Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Bature Abdulaziz.
Alhaji Bature, a Kano-based business icon, passed away over the weekend.
Speaking on behalf of his colleagues in the Northern States Governors’ Forum, Governor Inuwa Yahaya described the demise of the business mogul as a profound loss, not only to his immediate family and the business community, but to Northern Nigeria and the country at large, given his remarkable contributions to commerce, trade development and private sector growth.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya recalled a recent visit by the late businessman to Gombe State, where he joined a delegation of traders and investors to inspect key industrial clusters, including the 1,000-hectare Muhammadu Buhari Industrial Park in Dadinkowa.
According to the Governor, as contained in a Press release issued by Ismaila Uba Misilli,
Director-General (Press Affairs),
Government House, Gombe which was made available to Journalists on Monday, 19 January, 2026, “the deceased was visibly impressed by the scale and potential of the industrial park, with discussions pointing towards possible future investments”.
He extended his heartfelt condolences to the Arewa Traders Association, the Kano business community, the government and people of Kano State, as well as the bereaved family, praying Almighty Allah to forgive the deceased’s shortcomings and grant him Aljannat Firdaus.
In a related development, the NSGF strongly condemned the gruesome murder of a housewife, Fatima Abubakar, and her six children at Dorayi Chiranci community in Kano State, describing the incident as barbaric, heartbreaking and utterly unacceptable.
The NSGF Chairman expressed sincere condolences to the matriarch of the affected family and all those impacted by the tragic incident, noting that such acts of violence strike at the very foundation of humanity and social order.
He commended the Nigeria Police Force for the swift arrest of the suspects and urged law enforcement authorities to ensure diligent investigation and prosecution, stressing that justice must be served to deter future occurrences.
