Alhaji Shehu Idris, Emir of Zazau, passed on Sunday, 20th of September 2020, at the age of 87. Born on 20th February,1936, the emir assumed the throne of his fathers at the age of 31 years on 8th February 1975. He was the 18th Emir of Zazzau and the Chairman of Zazzau Emirate Council and the Kaduna State Emirate Council. A teacher and, later, private secretary to the Zazzau Emirate Council before his installation as emir, Shehu Idris was, until his death, the longest-ruling emir of the Zazzau emirate and was respected amongst his royal peers all over the country.
Alhaji Shehu Idris was known to have ruled in peace and harmony with the people and accommodated the princes of the land in the affairs of the Zazzau. Some of the remarkable things he did in his reign included the establishment of a number of positions for district heads with the objective of achieve an inclusive leadership which made possible the involvement of princes, across all of the four ruling houses, in the affairs of the emirate. He was also actively involved in peace and reconciliation missions in Plateau State in the early 2000s. He also served as Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, during his time.