Maccido family marks 20 years since Sokoto Sultan's plane crash death
- The family of Sultan Muhammadu Maccido has asked Nigerian leaders to choose dialogue and accountability over confrontation.
- The appeal comes as they mark 20 years since the October 2006 ADC Airlines crash that killed the Sultan and 95 others.
- The family also wants stronger aviation safety and a fairer, more united country.
The family of the late Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Maccido, has urged Nigerian leaders to settle disputes through dialogue and to be accountable to the people, as the country battles insecurity and communal tensions.
The appeal came in a statement signed by Bello Maccido on Sunday, ahead of the 20th anniversary of the Sultan's death. He died on 29 October 2006 when an ADC Airlines Boeing 737 crashed shortly after taking off from Abuja. The crash killed 96 people in all, including the Sultan, his son Senator Badamasi Maccido and his grandson.
Maccido had travelled to Abuja for a Presidential Forum on Education. The flight, ADC Airlines Flight 053, remains one of the country's deadliest air disasters.
The family said the values he stood for still matter today. In their words, the principles he held dear have lost none of their importance at a moment when the country is dealing with grave security and social problems.
A reign built on consultation
Maccido became the 19th Sultan of Sokoto in April 1996. He was born in 1926 in Dange, Sokoto State, a son of Sultan Abubakar III and a descendant of Sheikh Usman dan Fodio. Before taking the throne he worked in public administration, including as a presidential liaison officer in Sokoto State.
He also served as president-general of the Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), which put him at the centre of Islamic leadership in Nigeria. The family said he backed interfaith engagement, education, public health and campaigns against polio and HIV/AIDS.
The statement recalled how former President Shehu Shagari described him as a patient leader who chose talk over force. Shagari was quoted as saying: "He does not rush or dictate things."
For ordinary Nigerians, the family's message touches on the everyday realities of insecurity and religious tension in many communities. It also carries a reminder of aviation safety, a concern for anyone who flies.
What happens next
The family asked Nigerians to mark the anniversary by working for peace, justice and unity, and to remember all those who died in the crash. It also called for stronger aviation safety measures and for regulators to be held to account, so that a similar tragedy does not happen again.
In their words, the 20th remembrance should be more than a time for grief.
