Tribute To Sultan Muhammadu Maccido (1926-2006)

By Bello Ahmadu Alkammawa
A Prince Who Hid His Identity, A Sultan Who United A Nation
October 29, 2026, marks 20 years since Nigeria lost one of its most humble, humane and unifying monarchs His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammadu Maccido the 19th Sultan of Sokoto.
Born on 1926 in Dange, on the outskirts of Sokoto, to Sultan Siddiq Abubakar III (who reigned for 50 years) and his senior wife Hauwa’u, young Muhammadu’s birth was a miracle many children before him had died at birth.
Humility defined him from childhood. While at Nagarta College, Sokoto, he concealed his royal identity. When asked his name during enrollment, he simply said “Muhammadu Maccido.” No one knew he was a prince until ...