By Peter Omopo
Kano, September 19, 2025 – The District Head of Kabo and traditional title holder of Sarkin Gabas, Alhaji Idris Dankabo, has died at the age of 48.
Dankabo passed away on Thursday night following a fatal motor accident in Kano metropolis, the Kano Emirate Council confirmed in a statement on its official Facebook page, Sanusi Dynasty.
The late traditional ruler was the eldest son of the late Alhaji Muhammad Adamu Dankabo, founder of the defunct Kabo Air and a respected businessman, politician, and philanthropist.
He is survived by his wife and two children.
Funeral prayers are scheduled for Friday at 10 a.m. at the Kano Emir’s Palace, where the Emir is expected to lead the rites.
The Dankabo family is widely regarded as one of Kano’s most influential, with the patriarch’s airline, Kabo Air, once a leading carrier in domestic, regional, and international aviation before restructuring in the 2000s.
The Sarkin Gabas title, held by Idris Dankabo, is among the senior positions in the Kano Emirate hierarchy, carrying cultural and administrative authority.
His untimely death is expected to leave a significant void in the emirate’s leadership structure, which continues to wield influence across Northern Nigeria.
