Renowned Kano business magnate and Islamic scholar, Sheikh Isyaku Rabiu is dead. According to his family, he died on Tuesday in a London hospital after a protracted illness.

The late business mogul was  known for his vast achievements in different areas of investment including commerce, real estate , agriculture , manufacturing and air transportation .He founded the once-famous IRS Airlines.

A staunch leader of the Tijjaniyya  sect, Sheikh Rabiu was also a renowned Islamic scholar who built an Islamic university. He won the hearts of many through his philanthropy.

President Muhammadu Buhari, while extending his condolences to his family, described his death as a colossal loss not only to the field of learning and philanthropy but also to the entire business world.

A statement released on Wednesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, quoted President Buhari as saying that the late Rabiu had the remarkable qualities of combining scholarship and business investments that created job opportunities to thousands of Nigerians.

“The deceased had attained success through honest labour and resourcefulness which helped him achieve fame in life, and such virtues are not common in the context of today’s realities where many resort to some other means to achieve success,” the President was quoted as saying in the statement.

According to one of his sons, Rabiu Isyaku Rabiu who broke the news of his demise to newsmen via telephone, Sheikh Rabiu’s remains would be flown from London to Kano on Thursday and laid to rest the following day according to Islamic rites.

Isyaku Rabiu is survived by four wives and 64 children including the eldest son, Alhaji Abdulsamad Isyaku Rabiu who is a business magnate and Chief Executive Officer of the BUA Group of Companies.