20 Years After ADC Crash, Sultan Maccido’s Family Celebrates Legacy of Peace, Tolerance and Service

20 Years After ADC Crash, Sultan Maccido’s Family Celebrates Legacy of Peace, Tolerance and Service

Twenty years after the death of the 19th Sultan of Sokoto and former President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammadu Maccido, CFR, his family has paid tribute to his enduring legacy of peace, humility, religious tolerance and selfless service to humanity.

The family also called on political, traditional, religious and community leaders to embrace the late Sultan’s ideals of consultation, integrity, compassion and peaceful coexistence as Nigeria confronts insecurity, religious intolerance, communal tensions and other challenges to national unity.

Sultan Maccido died on 29 October 2006 in the ill-fated ADC Airlines Flight 053 crash shortly after take off from Abuja for Sokoto. The tragedy claimed 96 lives, including his son, Senator Badamasi Maccido, his grandson and several other Nigerians.

The late Sultan had travelled to Abuja to participate in a Presidential Forum on Education, reflecting what his family described as his lifelong commitment to public service and national development.

In a commemorative statement marking the 20th anniversary of his death, the family described Maccido as an exceptional father, grandfather, patriarch, spiritual leader and statesman whose life demonstrated that genuine leadership should be measured by compassion, wisdom, integrity and service rather than power or status.

“Twenty years may have passed since our beloved father, grandfather and patriarch departed this world, but his memory remains as precious to us today as it was on that painful morning of October 29, 2006,” the family said.

“To the world, he was the Sultan of Sokoto, a revered spiritual leader and statesman of uncommon wisdom. To us, he was a loving father, a compassionate grandfather, a patient counsellor and a man whose humility, generosity and devotion to Almighty Allah shaped every aspect of his life.”

Born in 1926 in Dange, Sokoto, Maccido was a direct descendant of Sheikh Usman dan Fodio and a son of Sultan Abubakar III. Before ascending the throne in April 1996, he served in several capacities, including as Presidential Liaison Officer in Sokoto State during the administration of former President Shehu Shagari.

The family said his decade-long reign was distinguished by religious moderation, interfaith dialogue and strong advocacy for education, public health and peaceful coexistence among Nigerians of different faiths and backgrounds. His support for polio immunisation and HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns, it added, demonstrated his conviction that traditional and religious institutions should serve as instruments of social progress.

The family also recalled the testimony of former President Shehu Shagari, who, in a 2008 interview with journalist Senator Iroegbu, described Maccido as a consultative leader who listened to advice and respected people regardless of their social standing.

“He does not rush or dictate things,” Shagari was quoted as saying, noting that those who mistook Maccido’s quiet disposition for weakness misunderstood one of his greatest leadership strengths.

Reflecting on those qualities, the family said the late Sultan’s philosophy remains relevant to Nigeria’s contemporary political, religious and security challenges.

“He believed deeply in the unity of Nigeria, the peaceful coexistence of Muslims and Christians, the dignity of every human being and the responsibility of leaders to listen to and serve their people,” the statement said.

The family urged Nigerians, particularly leaders and younger generations, to choose dialogue over confrontation, unity over division, compassion over intolerance and service over personal ambition.

It expressed appreciation to the current Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, and the Sokoto Sultanate Council for sustaining the institution’s tradition of promoting peace, religious tolerance, dialogue and national cohesion.

The family also acknowledged the Sultan Muhammadu Maccido Foundation, the government and people of Sokoto State, the Muslim Ummah, traditional and religious institutions, friends and well-wishers for preserving his memory and ideals.

While remembering all victims of the 2006 ADC Airlines tragedy, the family called for sustained attention to aviation safety, regulatory accountability and the protection of human life.

“His greatest memorial will not be found in monuments or commemorative ceremonies alone, but in the extent to which we uphold the values he lived and stood for,” the family said.

“Let this twentieth remembrance be more than an occasion for mourning. Let it be a renewed commitment to building the peaceful, just and united society for which he devoted his life.”

The family prayed for Almighty Allah to forgive Sultan Maccido’s shortcomings, accept his good deeds and grant him Aljannatul Firdaus, while extending prayers and solidarity to the families of all those who died in the crash.

The statement, signed by Alhaji Bello Maccido (Wakili Sokoto) on behalf of the family, reaffirmed its commitment to preserving the late Sultan’s ideals for future generations.

“Twenty years after his passing, Sultan Muhammadu Maccido remains a symbol of peace, tolerance and principled leadership. His memory lives on, and his legacy continues to inspire,” the family said.

By PRNigeria