By Abdulganiyu Rufai Yakub
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un.
On the night Salisu Salisu Umar — affectionately and fondly known to many as SS Umar — returned to his Creator, the world lost not just a learned lawyer or a political actor, but a man whose life was a quiet testament to loyalty, dignity, and service.
For more than three years, SS Umar endured one of life’s most difficult trials with a grace that humbled all who witnessed it. Cancer is a long, taxing battle, felt most intensely in the quiet moments of the night when pain has no audience and suffering is alone with consciousness. Yet in every report, every conversation, every shared prayer, he carried himself with patience (sabr) and faith (imani) that were nothing short of inspiring. He was tested — and he endured.
SS Umar was not just a professional. He was a man whose character became his calling card. In law, he built SS Umar & Co. Chambers, a practice defined not by showmanship but by integrity, meticulous attention to detail, and profound humanity. In a profession too often marred by arrogance, he exemplified humility. His clients knew him as a fair and principled counsel. His colleagues knew him as someone whose measure of success was not in applause but in justice well served.
But SS Umar’s life cannot be told only through career achievements. His truest legacy was in relationships that stood the test of time. From his earliest days, he built bonds not for convenience, but for keeps. Childhood friends. Secondary school companions. University contemporaries. Professional associates across practice and politics. All were held with consistent affection and loyalty that felt effortless, as though born of the purest intentions of the heart.
I met him in university, where his presence was as steady as the dawn. He moved campuses — from Old to New — and yet never left friendship behind. He lived with us, worked with us, celebrated with us, and later, in his office in Kano, worked beside us again. Some friendships fade. Some are seasonal. But SS Umar’s was perennial — unshaken by time, distance, or circumstance.
In politics, too, he was a man of principles. He may have walked different aisles, but he never surrendered his integrity. He believed in service — not for power, but for people. His engagement was never hollow or performative; it was earnest and rooted in a deep belief that public life must translate to public good.
Perhaps his greatest lesson was in how he faced his illness — with acceptance, with patience, and with faith. Many of us wrestle when life does not go as planned. SS Umar surrendered — not in defeat, but in belief. Those who visited him in his final days recall a man neither despondent nor divided, but calm, reflective, and at peace with his journey. His illness did not diminish his spirit; it sanctified it.
He is survived by his two devoted wives, Mrs. Aisha and Mrs. Husaina, whose resilience, sacrifice, and steadfast support defined the most difficult chapter of his life. He is also survived by his beloved children—Abubakar (Mu’allim), Ruqayya (In’am), and Muhammad Fawaz—as well as family members whose exceptional kinship stood firm throughout his illness. Special mention is owed to Ibrahim (Director) and Bashir (Ale Bash), who remained constant companions to him both in life and at his sickbed.
To friends, colleagues, and community, his absence creates a void that will not easily be filled. He was more than dependable. He was a refuge in times of uncertainty, a voice of reason in chaos, and a model of enduring friendship.
SS Umar will be remembered as a complete human being — balanced in intellect, firm in conviction, gentle in conduct, and loyal to the end. His life was not a fleeting spectacle. It was substance, depth, and meaning lived.
As we mourn him, we also celebrate him — not in loud lamentation, but in quiet reflection on a life well lived and a test well endured.
May Almighty Allah forgive his shortcomings, make his suffering a source of purification, widen his grave with light, and grant him Aljannatul Firdaus.
And may we, the living, carry forward his legacy of integrity, compassion, and unwavering loyalty.
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un.