Masaba, controversial Islamic preacher with 86 wives, dies at 93

Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Masaba, the controversial Islamic preacher and super polygamist, who married 86 wives, is dead.
He was aged 93.
His Personal Assistant, Alhaji Mutairu Salawudeen Bello, who confirmed Masaba’s death, said that the preacher died in his residence in Bida, Niger State, on Saturday, after a brief illness.
“From Allah we come, to Him we shall all return; we announce the death of Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Bello Masaba this afternoon. He was aged 93, and died after a brief illness,” Bello said.
A sobbing Bello declared that his boss would be buried at 10 a.m. on Sunday, January 29.
He said that the preacher had a premonition of his death and prepared for it.
“Baba (Masaba), told us that his time was up; he personally told me that he had completed his divine assignment and was ready to meet his creator.
“He also told us to remain dedicated to the cause of Islam and urged us never to deviate from his teachings on righteousness, piety and total submission to the will of Allah.
“He warned us to shun adultery but said that we should marry our women because it is ‘Hallal’ (right), before Allah,” Bello said.
Masaba came to limelight in mid-2008 when it was reported that he was married to 86 wives contrary to Islamic law which provides that a man can only marry a maximum of four wives.
At a meeting at the palace of Etsu of Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, he was ordered to divorce 82 of the wives, a directive which Masaba said he was not going to comply with, insisting that he did not violate any Islamic law.
The Etsu of Nupe later gave Masaba 48 hours to leave the Nupe Kingdom, saying that his safety could not be guaranteed
However, the cleric rejected the directive and sued the Emirate for violating his fundamental human rights.
Masaba was arrested in October 2008 and arraigned before a Shariah court but before his trial commenced  the police who said that they did not find anything incriminating when they searched his house.
He was, however, detained in the prison on the orders of the Sharia Court which later transferred the case to a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Minna after declaring that it lacked jurisdiction to try him.
A Federal High Court in Abuja in November 2008 ordered the release of Masaba from prison and asked the Inspector General of Police to ensure the protection of his fundamental human rights.
Masaba was said to have fathered 180 children and claimed that he never pursued any of his wives rather they that they sought him out due to his reputation as a healer
Many of his wives were much younger than he was, and a few were younger than some of his elder children.