Umaru Shehu, Nigeria’s first Emeritus Professor has died at the age of 97.
This was made known by Dr Bulama Gubio, Secretary of the Borno Elders Forum, on Monday in Maiduguri.
Shehu, a prominent Professor of Medicine, died in the early hours of Monday, according to Gubio.
“We regret to announce the demise of our founding father of both the 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 a global giant in the field of medicine,” Gubio said.
Shehu served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, from 1978 to 1980) and held visiting professorships at several universities, including the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, from 1976 to 1977.
He was also a founder fellow of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, the West African College of Physicians, the Nigerian Academy of Science, and the Faculty of Community Medicine (Nigeria).
In 1991, Shehu was named Honorary Consultant Physician, and in 2000, he was named Professor Emeritus.