Umaru Shehu, the first Emeritus Professor in Nigeria, has passed away at the age of 97.
This was said in a statement made on Monday, October 2, in Maiduguri by Dr. Bulama Gubio, the secretary of the Borno Elders Forum.
Gubio reported that Shehu, a renowned professor of medicine, passed away on Monday morning.
Gubio said,
“We regret to announce the demise of our founding father of both Kanem Borno Historical and Cultural Foundation (KBHCF) as well as the BEF.
“Professor Emeritus Umaru Shehu,CFR, Dr Shettima Ali Monguno and Maina Ibrahim Damcida were the founding fathers of BEF.
“All three have now left us. He was the last of the titans. May Allah have mercy upon them.
“May All have mercy upon our foremost professor of community medicine and global giant in the field of medicine.”
Shehu held visiting professorships at numerous universities, including the School of Medicine, University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, United States, from 1976 to 1977. Shehu was the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, from 1978 to 1980.
Additionally, he was a founder fellow of the West African College of Physicians, the Nigerian Academy of Science, the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, and the Faculty of Community Medicine (Nigeria).
Shehu became a Professor Emeritus in 2000 after being named an Honorary Consultant Physician in 1991.