May 16, 2010
This photo essay offers a glimpse into the real story of the Yar’Adua family, revealing the family’s modest means before the entry into public office of the late Nigerian ruler. The photos expose the deceptive public image carefully cultivated by the Yar’Adua family prior to his death on May 5, 2010.At the center of this narrative is Turai Yar’Adua, the former ruler’s barely educated and ultra greedy wife. Turai surrounded herself with some of the vilest former and incumbent public officials to help her plunder Nigeria – even, indeed especially—as her husband became too ill to function in office.
For two years, Turai and her husband deceived Nigerians into believing he was of sound mind and physical health. Yet, even as the demands of the office of the president intensified, Umaru Yar’Adua began to crumble under the weight of a rare disease known as Churg Strauss Syndrome. Aware that her husband’s days were numbered, Turai hastened to marry off two of their daughters to state governors twice their age. Each of the governors she chose for her teenage daughters already had several wives. For her youngest daughter, she organized one of the most expensive weddings in Nigeria's history, with many sycophantic top Nigerians falling over themselves to arrive in the Katsina venue in chartered aircraft. She acquired choice land and properties in Abuja. With former Governor James Ibori and former Attorney General Michael Aondoakaa as her privileged advisors, she moved to take over the reins of power and to rule Nigeria as her husband’s proxy.
Her plans began to fall apart in November 2009 when her husband had to be evacuated yet again to a hospital in Saudi Arabia in a medical emergency. He lapsed into a coma soon after arriving in Saudi Arabia. Even so, Turai, in a desperate desire to retain power, and certainly aware the end was close, smuggled him back into Nigeria after more than 90 days in order to forestall his loss of power. Flown into Abuja in an air ambulance and moved to the villa in a ground ambulance, he was never to be seen or heard from again in public until his death.
From left: Yar’Adua's first daughter, Maryam, now married to Mr. Badamasi Kabir, a member of the House of Representatives representing Katsina Central; Yar’Adua’s wife, Turai; daughter Zainab, now married (2nd marriage) to Kebbi State Governor Usman Saidu Dakingari; daughter Nafisat, now married to Governor Isah Yuguda of Bauchi State (their wedding cost an obscene N3 billion); Baby A'isha Yar’Adua is on Turai's laps.
Aisha was at one time billed to marry Sokoto billionaire oil magnate, Rahamaniyya, but the wedding plans were terminated in favor of her marriage to either the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Aliero, or the Kaduna State governor, Sambo. This photo was taken on the occasion of A'isha's naming ceremony, seven days after she was born. At the time, Turai could only afford a plastic necklace, but now she sports the most expensive jewelry, including gold and diamonds.
Turai and her children own choice plots of land in Abuja, interests in banks, oil companies and numerous firms that were used as fronts to milk the Nigerian treasury. As “First Lady,” Turai Yar’Adua was reputed to be an aggressive collector of bribes. A source who worked for her told Saharareporters that Turai charged a fee of $30,000 from politicians and businessmen/women who sought appointments to see her – usually to lobby for her help to win “juicy” appointments or contracts.
When Yar’Adua declared his assets in 1999, he barely had N50 million naira. In 2003, he did not declare his assets, claiming that nothing had changed. But in 2007, on the eve of his swearing-in, he made a declaration that he was worth a whopping N900 million naira.
Even so, Yar’Adua’s 2007 asset declaration was meant to fool Nigerians. It did not include several properties, including a N200 million house in Kano that Yar’Adua purchased in 2002 from Kano-based Lebanese businessman, El-Tayeb.
A source who has been close to the Yar’Aduas since their days in Katsina told our correspondent: “It is strange how this family with a humble beginning has become one of the most greedy in our country’s history.”
Nafisat Yuguda, perhaps the richest of the Yar’Adua girls – and the daughter reputed to have had Nigeria's most expensive wedding – sells diamonds and gold, and receives contracts worth hundreds of millions of naira from Bauchi State.
The photos here are more eloquent than words.
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