It was in January that a team from the University of Lagos, Akoka, led by its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Rahman Bello, visited the palace of Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garba El- Kanemi. The mission was clear; it was to formally announce the royal father’s appointment as the institution’s 7th Chancellor.
It was an enthusiastic welcome by the emirate as family members and wellwishers had embraced the news as an elevation of the former permanent secretary and an endorsement of their kingdom.
One of the family members, who, apparently, must have jumped at the new appointment, not knowing that death was locking around the corner, was the Shehu’s younger brother and former Borno State’s Auditor-General, Alhaji Kaka Kyari Abba Kaza.
Kaza was among the teeming fans and supporters of the new Chancellor,who had arrived the university about 5pm on Tuesday, ahead of the official installation ceremony slated for Thursday. It was part of the activities scheduled to mark the week-long 48th convocation ceremonies of the university. Decked in their traditional attires and holding various symbols of titles, the visitors had come in multitude, riding in luxurious buses as advance parties of the royal father.
El-Kanemi himself had been flown in same day and joined his men who had waited patiently for him at the local wing of the Muritala Muhammed Airport in Lagos. The day was the first day of the convocation ceremonies, when a 29-yearold Ayodele Daniel Dada, officially stormed the world with his outstanding CGPA score of 5.00. It was first of its kind in the history of the 54-year-old institution.
According to a source, who preferred anonymity, the El-Kanemi entourage were led straight to the Chancellor’s lodge behind the lagoon. Unfortunately, they were too many to be accommodated in the building.
“So, we were asked to take many of them back to the university’s guest house located close to the Senate Building. And they were allocated about three rooms on the second floor of the ‘A Wing’ of the guest house,” the source told Saturday Telegraph.
But, the arrangement was a misadventure as one of the rooms went up in flames about 2am on Wednesday morning. This, according to eye witnesses, caused a stir which stimulated a pandemonium. The late Kaza, who had occupied Room ‘A 12’ on the floor was said to have slept off, and had suffocated in the thick smoke before he could be rescued.
It took the prompt intervention of the institution’s fire service to limit the impact of the inferno to just about four rooms, according to the university’s Deputy Registrar (Information), Mr. Toyin Adebule.
“Sadly, the incident claimed the life of one of our guests, Alhaji Kaka Kyari Abba Kaza, former Auditor- General, Borno State, who was on the entourage of the Chancellor. He was laid to rest according to Islamic injunctions today (Thursday) 3rd March, 2016 in Borno State,” Adebule said in a statement issued on Thursday night.
