A former Governor of Niger, Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu has been critically sick and flown abroad for medical treatment.

The sickness of former  Governor Babangida Aliyu, who was the governor of the state on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party(PDP) between 2007- and 2015, and a Chieftaincy title holder of Talba Minna, under the present Emir of Minna His Royal Highness, Alhaji Umaru Farouq Bahago, was said to have become noticeable recently(sometimes in May 2024) during the burials of his late Mother at his NITECO road, Tunga private residence in Minna.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that when the Talba Minna was playing host to sympathizers from far and near, including former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, among other prominent Nigerians who had come to pay a condolence visit to him, over the death of his late Mother, adding that he was seen struggling to stand up with the aid of his walking stick and some close family members and aides who quickly assisted him to stand up on his feet from a cushioned chair inside his sitting room downstairs, to welcome some of his visitors to his private residence.

It was further learned that from that moment, his health condition was said to have further deteriorated to an extent that he couldn’t move his body from one section of his residence to the other, with ease on his own thereby giving his immediate family members and some close friends very serious concerns about the health condition of the erstwhile Civilian Governor of Niger State.

Further checks revealed that no sooner than a distressed call was made to the Incumbent Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of the State who was out of the Country and on Pilgrimage to the Holy Land in Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the recent Eid-El-Kabir festival alongside his Deputy and the Speaker of the state House of Assembly about the poor health condition of Dr. Babangida Aliyu, that the Governor allegedly ordered that he should be flown to Germany for Medical treatment.

Though the nature of the sickness was not made public, some insider sources close to the family members of the former Governor who spoke with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity on Sunday by telephone, said the former Governor’s illness may not be far from a chronic liver disease.

The reliable source added that Dr. Babangida Aliyu had been managing the disease for quite some time now after which it almost became unmanageable and required that he should be flown out of the country for proper treatment in a very good hospital abroad.
Meanwhile, concerted efforts to speak with his Media aide, Mr. Bala Bitrus were futile as he didn’t pick up his calls when our Correspondent called him for his comments about the health of his Boss.
Also, attempts were made to speak with the Chairman of, the Niger State Chapter of the People’s Democratic Party, Barr. Tanko Beji was unsuccessful.

A visit to his Law chambers on Bosso Road Minna, and next-door neighbor to Murtala amusement Park, Minna, and adjacent to Gwari Motors on Bosso Road Minna on Saturday revealed that he was not in the office, while a Security guard on duty advised that our Correspondent could come back at about 5 pm -5:30 Pm on Sunday to check if his Boss would be in the office to attend to some official matters after which he would relax with some of his friends who usually visited him in his office on  Sunday evenings.

Also, a close aide to the State Governor, who would not want to be quoted in the Prints said that Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago who was still believed to be in Saudi Arabia was said to have flown to Germany, on a sympathy visit to former Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu in a German Hospital where he was receiving Medical treatment and recuperating, pending his return to the Country after he must have been certified fit to embark on a flight back to Nigeria for several hours very soon or in a foreseeable future.

It added, that the state government may have been responsible for the payment of the former Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu’s Medical treatment abroad. Following the cordial relationship between the incumbent Governor Umaru Bago and the former Governor, the two political leaders in the state were not from the same political party.