I remember in the middle of the 2008 Jos crisis laughing alongside an audience of Christian refugees at Ibro Dan Siyasa
Last week I wrote up some of my memories of one of Kannywood’s biggest stars Rabilu Musa, more often known by his comedic alter-ego Dan Ibro. Musa passed away last week on 10 December 2014, due to complications related to kidney disease. He had apparently struggled with the illness for some time. When he was jailed by the mobile court then attached to the Kano State Censorship Board (a kangaroo court he later mocked in Kotun Ibro), he spent most of his jail term in the hospital. (When Kwankwaso became governor in 2011, Rabilu Musa was also given a seat on the Kano State Censorship Board.)
“An Kwantar da Ibro Asabiti” article published in Leadership Hausa, 17-23 October 2008
This week, my editor (who is still being kind to me despite my being MIA from my column) at Weekly Trust asked me if I would grant an interview about my memories of Dan Ibro, along the lines of the blog post. Once some time has passed, I’ll archive the whole interview on my blog, but for now you can read the interview on the Trust site here: “My Memories of Dan Ibro”
Ibro Dan Siyasa
I will try to figure out how to upload the interview I did with him in April 2009, once I have access to good internet.
In the meantime, here are a few other Trust articles and tributes to the late comedian:
“Father of Late Comedy Star Dan Ibro Speaks… ‘Life will never be the same without Dan Ibro” by Ibrahim Musa Giginyu
“Tribute to an Unrivalled Arewa Comedy Icon” by Umar Rayyan
“Dan Ibro: Exit of Kannywood’s Comedy icon” by Ibrahim Musa Giginyu
“Popular Hausa Comedian Ibro Dies” by Ibrahim Musa Giginyu
Other articles include
Noorer’s “Social Media Reactions to Rabilu Musa Ibro’s Death” on Kannywoodscene
Umar IBN’s obituary “Cikakken Tahirin Marigayi Rabilu Musa Dan Ibro” on Kannywood Exclusive.
Mohammad Lere’s article “Comedian ‘Dan Ibro’ Buried in Kano” in Premium Times
Awwal Ahmad Janyau’s “Rabilu Musa Dan Ibro Ya Rasu” in RFI
“Dan wasan Hausa, Rabilu Dan Ibro Ya Rasu” BBC
Finally, in an interview with FIM Magazine in March 2008, Rabilu Musa told them, “In ka ji an ce an daina yi da Ibro, to sai dai in Ibro ya mutu”/”If you hear that Ibro is no longer performing, it’s because Ibro is dead.”
Rest in peace, Rabilu Musa. May Ibro live on. Allah ya jikansa. Allah ya sa shi huta. Allah ya ba mu hakuri.
“If you hear that Ibro is no longer performing, it’s because Ibro is dead.” -Rabilu Musa, March 2008, Rest in peace, Ibro.
A Tunanina... 
