A statement issued by the palace says the traditional ruler died on Monday afternoon at the Federal Medical Centre in Gusau, the state capital.
The Emir of Zurmi in Zamfara State, Bello Suleiman, is dead.
His passing comes after five years on the throne.
He succeeded his uncle, Abubakar Atiku, who was deposed by the state government in 2021 and later formally removed in April 2022 alongside the Emir of Dansadau, Hussaini Umar, over alleged ties to banditry and interference with security efforts.
Mr Atiku later died in an Egyptian hospital.
In May 2024, bandits overran Zurmi, ransacked the emir’s palace, killed three security personnel at the gate, and abducted several residents, including the emir’s chief detail (Shamaki), Buhari Yusuf, alongside two other men, Aliyu Ahmed and Sa’idu Lawali.
During the invasion, the attackers vandalised a local MTN telecommunications facility to disrupt communication and prevent security reinforcements, allegedly targeting Mr Suleiman for abduction.
Residents reported that the attackers accused the late monarch of being indifferent to the alleged maltreatment of Fulani residents by local vigilantes.
Zurmi, located along the border with the Niger Republic and sharing a boundary with Katsina State, is the second most populous town in Zamfara State after Gusau.
