By Maryam Tijjani Habib
My beloved husband, my confidant, my playmate and my rock. Your passing has left an unfillable void in my life. One year has passed, yet I still yearn for your presence, hoping to see a missed call or message from you.
Your demise felt like the world crashing down on me. I couldn’t believe it was you who had left us. We spoke just hours before, at a time I couldn’t imagine a life without you. La ilaha illallah, you were my everything – my partner, my guide, and my world.
DIG Ibrahim Lamorde was the most caring and loving husband I could ever ask for. From the moment we met, our lives intertwined in a tapestry of love, laughter, and shared dreams. My chairman, even as a retired DIG of police and ex-EFCC boss, you embodied both strength and gentleness in equal measure. Your playful spirit brought light to every room, and your caring nature touched the lives of everyone around you.
Our days were filled with endless calls, messages, and travels across the globe, from bustling cities to the serene sands of Madina and Mecca. My favourite memory, though, remains our very first night—when you joined me in Paris just hours after our wedding. Then, our subsequent tawaf in Mecca, as you intertwined your arms with mine, will forever hold a special place in my heart. No one admired my outfits like you did, always matching your elegance from cap to shoe. You never addressed me by my name. Typical of a Fulani man, in public, you called me Your Excellency or Hajiya, while in private or messages, you called me my sweetheart.
It is only occurring to me after your sad demise, which leaves us with tears streaming endlessly from our eyes, that I realize you knew our last call was a parting one. You kept on thanking me, saying, “Allah ya miki albarka, Nagode, Nagode Miki,” and I took it so lightly without giving it a special thought.
Your messages still resonate differently as I read them over and over again: Salam SH. To my special wife. My love for you is never-ending; my prayers were answered when I met you. I can’t think of any better way to spend my life than with you at my side. You are what my heart has always needed. Thank you, love. Others are, My dear wife, thank you for bringing so much love and joy into my life. You are my closest companion and the most important person in my life. You are everything I wished for, more than I could have imagined, and my dream come true. I love you from the bottom of my heart.
“Salam. Sweetheart, it’s morning and time to wake up because my morning is incomplete without hearing from you. l really hope you had a good sleep. Good morning, my love. My one and only. I will ever remain grateful to the Almighty for bringing you into my life.”
Your generosity knew no bounds, giving freely without expecting anything in return. Last Ramadan, even though you like going to Umrah in the holy month, you chose to give in charity to the less privileged the whole cost instead of spending on us, including your beloved children. Your good-will reached your entire family and community in far away Mubi and beyond. Some of your good deeds only become known to us after your demise as it is expected of a good practising Muslim.
Your devotion to Allah was unwavering, your prayers a testament to your deep faith and humility. I often teased you about your emotional prayers, especially when you wept during sujud at night in sincere devotion to Allah (SWA).
You were our spiritual anchor, establishing the Monday and Thursday fasting as a cherished tradition in our home and hosting friends and associates for Iftar, whether you were present or not. In a poignant turn of events, Musa Gidado, your loyal friend and regular companion at our Iftar gatherings, has also departed, now laid to rest mere meters from your grave; joining you in the great beyond.
You were also the first to wake us up for morning prayers. I don’t know for how long I will keep hanging my hands after subhi prayers in expectation of your handshake saying ‘Assalama Alaikum Your Excellency’. That post-prayer handshake is something I will miss forever.
Chairman had a magnetic personality; his friends were deeply attached to him, drawn by his contagious spirit and accommodating nature. He was empathetic and couldn’t be at peace knowing others were in distress.
You were the pillar of discipline and professionalism in your duties, always deeply affected by the challenges our country faced. Yet, amidst your strength and dedication, you were my caring husband, my confidant who knew my heart better than anyone else.
Your love and care for us, your family, were beyond description. On the day of Arafah, our darling daughter, Farhana, whom you fondly called PA, prayed for your return. Her innocent wish mirrored my deepest longing, but I had to tell her that some prayers remain unanswered, for Allah’s promise is unchangeable. The ache of your absence remains excruciating. Yet, what comforts my heart are the countless accolades and tales of goodness we have discovered about you since your passing. You were not just my husband; you were my world, my guide, and my beloved companion.
Even though the world feels empty without you, I find solace in the countless memories we created together. Your voice still resonates in every corner of our home, and your laughter lingers in the echoes of our conversations. We never imagined you would leave us so soon, answering the call of Allah, the Almighty, the Ever-Living. Eid-ul-Fitr 2025 brought back memories of 2024—how you complemented my dress and showered us with Goron Sallah (sallah gifts.) Those memories continue to flood my heart—how you celebrated with us, filling our lives with love, warmth, and your signature laughter. It feels like only yesterday. About a month before your final trip to Cairo, where you took your last breath, you spoke of your imminent death and prepared your will. I dismissed your words, unable to fathom life without you. How could I have ever imagined a life without you, my king?
May may be shattering for taking you away, but October… I can never forget. I was born in October, met you in October, married you in October, and with a heavy heart, I concluded my obligatory ‘Iddah’ in October. Hasbunallahu wa nimal wakil! Though my heart is heavy with your loss, I am eternally grateful for the blessings you brought into my life.
In submission to Allah’s will, I thank Him for the gift of you and for taking you at His appointed time. May He grant you eternal peace and unite us once again in the highest ranks of paradise (Aljanna Firdausi).
Until then, my beloved Chairman, continue to rest in peace knowing that you are deeply loved and missed today and always.
Your beloved wife,
Maryam Tijjani Habib
May 26, 2025
