Ahmadu Ibrahim Bello was born on June 12, 1910. He was a conservative Nigerian statesman who masterminded Northern Nigeria through the independence of Nigeria in 1960 and served as its first and only premier from 1954 until his assassination in 1966.

Bello was a member of the Sokoto Caliphate dynasty, he made attempts at becoming Sultan of Sokoto before later joining politics.

He received Islamic education at home, where he learnt the Qur'an, Islamic jurisprudence and the traditions of Muhammad. He later attended Sokoto Provincial School and the Katsina Training College (now Barewa College).

During his school days, he was known as Ahmadu Rabah. Some also called him Gamji growing up. He finished school in 1931 and subsequently became the English teacher in Sokoto Middle School.

In the 1959 independence elections, Bello led the NPC to win a plurality of the parliamentary seats. Bello's NPC forged an alliance with Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe's NCNC (National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons) to form Nigeria's first indigenous federal government which led to independence from Britain.

In forming the 1960 independence federal government of Nigeria, Bello as president of the NPC, chose to remain Premier of Northern Nigeria and devolved the position of Prime Minister of the Federation to the deputy president of the NPC, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.

On January 15, 1966, Bello was assassinated by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu an Igbo Nigerian Army officer in a coup which toppled Nigeria's post-independence government. He was still serving as premier of Northern Nigeria at the time.

This was the first coup in the history of Nigeria, which heralded the rise of the military in the country's politics. Bello had three wives at the time of his death.

Hafsatu, his senior wife, died alongside him. He had three surviving daughters with another wife, Amina (Goggon Kano).

MyNigeria/Wikipedia