Saratu Shehu Shagari, the last surviving wife of Nigeria’s former President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, has died at the age of 89.

According to a statement issued by the family, Mrs. Shagari passed away on Monday around 3 p.m. after a prolonged illness. Her eldest son, Captain Mohammed Bala Shagari (Rtd.), who confirmed the death, described his late mother as “an embodiment of grace, humility, and quiet strength, who lived a life of dignity and service.”

Mrs. Saratu was widely respected for her calm disposition and support for her late husband, who served as Nigeria’s first democratically elected executive president between 1979 and 1983. Born in 1936, Saratu Shagari lived a life devoted to family and faith. Her passing marks the end of an era for the Shagari family, years after the former president’s death in December 2018.

The family noted that funeral arrangements would be announced in due course.