Usman Faruk

Usman Faruk
Military Governor of North-Western State
In office 27 May 1967 – 29 July 1975
Preceded by	Hassan Katsina (Northern Region)
Succeeded by	Lt. Colonel Umaru Mohammed
Personal details
Born	1932 Gombe
Died	18 December 2020

Alhaji Usman Faruk (1932 – 18 December 2020) was the first Military Governor of North-Western State in Nigeria from 1967 to 1975 after it was split off from the old Northern Region during the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon.^[1] He was dismissed from office by General Murtala Mohammed, who took power in a coup on 29 July 1975, and who then launched a probe that found him guilty of illegally enriching himself while in office.^[2] He was later reinstated by the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida regime after being cleared of all charges, and was given his full benefits and retirement rank.^{[citation needed]} Shortly after he left office, the state was split into Niger State and Sokoto State.^[1]

1988 pamphlet

Faruk published a pamphlet in 1988 that attacked the national population control program that the Nigerian military government was advocating. In it, he said that "No good Muslim will ever accept any human directive which contravenes the laws of Allah." He said that widespread promotion of anti-pregnancy drugs and devices would lead to "an earthquake of moral laxity."^[3] This view, common in the North, may have contributed to the spread of AIDS and polio.^[4]

Community marketing board

Faruk supported establishing a commodity marketing board to fix or control the prices of produce and animals such as cows, goats and sheep. The board would also preserve produce for times of need, and would set up processing companies for perishable produce such as tomatoes and other vegetables.^[5]

Police commissioner

Faruk was a former Commissioner of Police. In a 2006 press interview, he said that the poor pay and equipment of the police could not be justified, and was the cause of the state of insecurity in the country.^[6]

Awards and honours

Faruk was awarded Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration in September 2006.^[7]

Personal life and death

In July 2009, his third son, Police Superintendent Abdulaziz Faruk, was killed during violence in Maiduguri triggered by the Boko Haram extreme Islamist sect.^[8]

Faruk was reported dead in December 2020.^[9]

Bibliography

• Usman Faruk (1992). The struggle of the national association for the creation of more states. Northern Nigerian Pub. Co. ISBN 978-169-314-2.
• Usman Faruk (1995). My vision. Hudahuda Publishing Co.
• Usman Faruk (2006). From farm house to government house: path of destiny. Amana Publishers. ISBN 978-056-261-3.

References

1. "Nigerian States". WorldStatesmen. Retrieved 2010-01-05.
2. Max Siollun (2009). Oil, Politics and Violence: Nigeria's Military Coup Culture (1966-1976). Algora Publishing. p. 186. ISBN 978-0-87586-708-3.
3. "Population Control: Centrepiece of Imperialist Aggression Against the Muslim World". Mission Islam. Retrieved 2010-01-05.
4. Kuburah Hameedu. "Underlying Causes Of The Polio Vaccine Rejection In Northern Nigeria". Friends of Nigeria. Archived from the original on 2008-08-20. Retrieved 2010-01-05.
5. Mohammed Kawu. "Ex-governor advocates commodity marketing boards for Northern produce". People's Daily. Retrieved 2010-01-05.
6. Auwal Ahmed (2 March 2006). "Ex-governor seeks better welfare for police". The Guardian. Retrieved 2010-01-05. ^{[dead link‍]}
7. Admin (2016-11-04). "USMAN, Alh Faruk". Biographical Legacy and Research Foundation. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
8. "Peace: Traders nationwide to collaborate with security agents". Daily Triumph. July 3, 2009. Retrieved 2010-01-05.
9. Rasak, Adekunle (19 December 2020). "Sokoto govt mourns Ex-Governor, Usman Faruk". Tribune Online. Nigerian Tribune. Archived from the original on December 19, 2020. Retrieved 12 April 2023.