Hajiya Zainab, better known as Hajiya Umma, the 3rd wife of the late Prime Minister of Nigeria, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, has died. She was 73.

She died at Bauchi Specialist Hospital after a brief illness on Monday. Her remains were buried in Bauchi yesterday according to Islamic rites.

The deceased is survived by two children, Hadiza and Ahmed as well as many grand children. The two other wives of the late prime minister are still alive.

Bauchi State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Muhammad Garba Gadi, was among those who attended the burial of the deceased.

Umma was the 3rd wife of the Prime Minister before he was killed in a bloody military coup on 15th January, 1966.

Sympathizers were seen trouping into the family home of the late prime minister along old Ran road in Bauchi while condolences were being received.

Bauchi governor, Malam Isa Yuguda, described the late Umma as a mother to the state who was also a nationalist since she might have worked with and assisted the late Prime Minister in different ways during the course of his national assignment.

Speaking through his director of press, Mohammed Khanna, Yuguda also said the late Umma did her best in the sustenance of peace and unity in Bauchi State.

In his condolence, Borno governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, prayed to Allah to grant the late prime minister’s widow, Aljanna firdaus and give the family the fortitude to bear the loss.

On the part of Yobe State governor, Ibrahim Geidam, who spoke through his director of Press, Abdullahi Bego, said, “the death of Hajiya Zainab was a sad loss, not to only to the Tafawa Balewa family, but also to the entire north and Nigeria in general”.