Hajiya Ladi Bako, the wife of the first Governor of Kano State, Audu Bako, has died at the age of 93.
Her daughter Zainab Bako confirmed the death to newsmen on Wednesday 5 April, saying the nonagenarian died at Prime Specialist Hospital in Kano after protracted illness.
Her funeral prayer of Hajiya Ladi Bako will be at 1400 hrs (2:00 pm) today (Thursday) 5 April 2023 at Kofar Kudu Emirs Palace Kano.
Her husband was appointed Military Governor of the old Kano State from May 1967 to July 1975.
During his tenure, Kano State witnessed massive socio-economic development, which successive governors of the state have been and still building upon.
Late Hajiya Ladi was born in Sabon Gari, Zaria in 1930 (93 years ago). The street of her birth was called Layin Magajiya in Zaria.
Young Ladi attended Missionary schools up to Standard 2. According to Hajiya Ladi, her parents who were from Mid-western Nigeria, came to Zaria and settled at Sabon Gari.
In 1949, Audu Bako met young Ladi at the entrance of their house. They became seriously in love to the extent that Emir Aminu approved their marriage.
That time she was 19 and the smart young Police Officer Audu Bako was 25.
Audu Bako’s father was from Argungu, Kebbi State and had served in the police force for 36 years.
He was appointed as the District Head of Sabon Gari in Kaduna State , his mother Dije was from Mariri in now Dawakin Kudu LGA of Kano State.
Late Ladi Bako is known to have the passion of keeping wild animals at home.
According to her, some villagers found two lion cubs that flood swept into their farms. They brought them to her which she gladly accepted.
The lion cubs were a male and a female brought to her on a Friday, so she named them Danjuma, (Hausa name of male child born on Friday) and Jummai (for a female).
Jummai died but Danjuma grew and became very close to Hajiya Ladi, to the extent that it was allowed to sleep between Hajiya Ladi and the daughter, Zainab, when she was a baby.
Her late husband had no passion for keeping wild animals but to be at the farm always. So after an incidence with Danjuma the lion, late Audu Bako build and opened the present Kano Zoo, and Ladi donated Danjuma as the first wild animal in the Zoo. She loved wild animals so much.
A statement by Air Commodore Sani Zakari (rtd) said Late Hajiya Ladi Bako had 6 children; 3 sons and 3 daughters.
One of the sons died, so she is survived by 2 sons and 3 daughters among them Zainab Audu Bako a lady politician and technocrat.
