It was a bleak and tragic sunday for the family of late former Director-General of the Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ibrahim Zakari, as his youngest son Ibrahim Zakari, passed away Sunday evening.

The 34 years old late Mubarak was said to have died of heartbreak following his father’s demise.

He was among family members and sympathisers who accompanied the remains of his father from Abuja to Katsina for burial Sunday afternoon.

Sources close to the family said Mubarak had looked quite hale and hearty when he arrived in the state for the burial.

One of the sources, however, said the death of the former NIA boss took a toll on him, and he died a few hours after his father was buried.

Mubarak’s demise has left many of his family members as well as sympathisers in shock, with some saying he and his late father were very close.

He is expected to be buried today, Monday, with a funeral prayer to be held at 10:00 a.m. at the late Ambassador’s family house, GRA, Katsina.

The former NIA boss, 81, died in the early hours of Sunday morning in Abuja and was buried at the Dantaku cemetery, Katsina, at about 4:45 p.m. the same day.

Several dignitaries, including Governor Dikko Radda, Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumuni Kabir Usman, and business mogul Dahiru Mangal, attended the funeral prayer, which was held at the Emir’s palace.

Before his demise, the late ambassador held the traditional title of Talban Katsina from the emirate.

He was NIA boss from 1995 to 1998, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in the early 1990s, and headed anti-terrorism affairs in 2011 during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s tenure.

He was also a schoolmate of former President Muhammadu Buhari when they were students at the prestigious Government College, Katsina (GCK).