President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed sadness over the death of the first President of the Christian Council of Nigeria, now Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Luther Dabirong Cishak.

Late Luther Cishak   Source: Vanguard

Late Kasimu Yero    Source: Premiumtimes

President Buhari, in a tribute in memory of the religious leader, issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja, described the deceased as “one of Nigeria’s finest and greatest religious leaders.’’

He added that late Rev. Cishak, who died at the age of 88, was a gentleman passionately devoted to the promotion of peaceful coexistence, tolerance, social harmony and mutual respect between Christians and Muslims in Plateau and the country in general.

The President recalled that in a 2003 crisis that rocked the state, the late Rev. Cishak risked his life in order to protect others from being killed by mobs. “This kind of sacrifice for peace is an uncommon virtue that must be extolled by all patriotic Nigerians,’’ he added.

Buhari, therefore, extended his condolences to the family of the deceased and the Christian Association of Nigeria.

President Buhari also mourned the death of the popular Hausa actor, Kasimu Yero, who died after a protracted illness. He described the deceased as “one of the greatest, talented and most entertaining actors of our time.’’ Buhari said the Nigerian film industry would miss such “a popular film star and a household name whose impact would be felt for years to come.’’

He condoled with the family of Yero and prayed to Allah to forgive his gentle soul. Veteran actor Kasimu Yero died in Kaduna on Sunday at the age of 70.

The deceased’s eldest son, Mansur Kasimu-Yero, had told newsmen in Kaduna that his father died at his residence in Magajin Gari, Kaduna, after a protracted illness. Yero, who was buried at Bachama Road Cemetery in Kaduna, is survived by eight children.

He would be fondly remembered for his role as ‘Uncle Gaga’ in the now rested ’80s situational comedy, Cock Crow At Dawn, and as one of the lead characters in Abubakar Imam’s TV series, Magana Jari Ce.

The deceased was one of the early popular northern faces in Nigeria’s entertainment industry and had the flair of interpreting humorous scripts.