Former President of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari who died yesterday will be buried today in Sokoto, according to the family.

TheLagostimes had earlier reported that Shagari died at the National Hospital Abuja on Friday after a brief illness.He died at the age of 93.

His grandson, Nuradeen Mahe, told newsmen in Sokoto that the late President would be flown from Abuja to Sokoto for burial today, in accordance with Islamic rites.

Mahe disclosed that the late Shagari was flown to Abuja on Christmas Day after his health deteriorated.

Shagari was president from 1979 to 1983 and won re-election before being dethroned by a coup d’etat that brought in Muhammadu Buhari as military head of state.

The former leader was born February 25, 1925 in Shagari, Sokoto State.

After his early education, he worked as a teacher for a brief period before venturing into politics in 1951.

In 1954, he was elected to the federal House of Representatives.

He served seven times in a ministerial post as a federal minister and federal commissioner from 1958–1975, before he was elected president in 1979.

He won a disputed re-election in 1983 that accelerated a military coup three months later after he was sworn in and the economy was on a precipitous decline.