Thousands of people attended the burial of elder statesman, Maitama Sule, on Tuesday as the Danmasanin Kano was laid to rest at the palace of the Emir of Kano.

Maitama Sule, who was Chairman of the Northern Elders Forum, died in the Egyptian capital Cairo on Monday at the age of 87.

The body of the elder statesman had earlier arrived in Abuja before it was flown to Kano State in a Nigerian Air Force aircraft.

The burial attracted commoners and business moguls as well as political leaders and top government functionaries.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III; Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje and representatives of the Northern Elders Forum were among those at the prayers and burial.

Governor Muhammad Abubakar of Bauchi State, Professor Ango Abdullahi and many other associates of late Dan Masani were also among those gathered to mourn the man they all described as “second to none”.

Governor Ganduje described the late elder statesman as an irreplaceable intellectual who devoted his entire time to serving Nigeria and Africa in general.

Although he said a replacement would be hard to find for Sule, the governor explained that time is the healer of all wounds.

Professor Ango Abdullahi, Dr Junaid Muhammad said few words cannot describe the man Nigeria has lost.

After Maitama Sule was laid to rest, many mourners were seen trooping to his Kano residence to express their condolences to his family.

•Based on Channels TV reports.