Bauchi State is in mourning following the death of architect Audu Sule Katagum, a former deputy governor and prominent traditional figure, who died early Saturday at age 69.
The announcement was made by Lukman Abubakar, aide on digital and creative media to former governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, under whom Katagum served.
In a statement laced with grief, Lukman invoked the Islamic declaration of mourning, “Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi Raji’un,” describing the late politician’s passing as the end of “a life of dedicated service to his community, Bauchi State, and the nation.”
Funeral arrangements, he said, would be communicated in due course, while he prayed for Allah’s mercy and forgiveness on the deceased and fortitude for his grieving family.
A trained architect by profession, he served as deputy governor of Bauchi State from 2018 to 2019 under Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, having previously served as chief of staff at the Bauchi State Government House before his elevation to the deputy governorship.
He was confirmed by the state assembly in mid-2018 after his nomination by the governor, stepping into the role at a time the administration sought to consolidate ahead of the 2019 general elections. He was eventually succeeded as deputy governor by Baba Tela in May 2019, when the Bala Mohammed administration took office.
He held the title of Wazirin Katagum, a hereditary distinction passed down from his father, the late Alhaji Sule Katagum, a Nigerian civil servant and statesman who served as the first Chairman of Nigeria’s Federal Public Service Commission from 1959 until 1975 and who died in December 2017.
The younger Katagum was formally turbaned with the title in February 2024, an occasion attended and celebrated by serving Governor Bala Mohammed, who at the time praised him for his “unwavering commitment” and the pivotal role he played during his tenure as deputy governor.
Tributes have already begun trickling in from political circles in Bauchi, with many describing his death as a profound loss not only to the Katagum Emirate but also to the wider Bauchi State, where he was remembered as a quiet but committed public servant who moved seamlessly between government office and traditional custodianship.
He is survived by his wife, children, and other relatives. Details of burial rites and condolence visits are expected to be announced by the family and the Katagum Emirate Council in the coming days.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
The death of Audu Sule Katagum at 69 marks the loss of a man who embodied both political service and traditional leadership in Bauchi State, a former Deputy Governor (2018–2019) and Wazirin Katagum, who carried forward a legacy of public duty inherited from his father, the late Alhaji Sule Katagum.
His passing is being mourned as a significant loss to both the Katagum Emirate and Bauchi State at large, with funeral details to be announced by his family.
