While at the airport, the Pope read an address to Rimi and other government officials urging cooperation and unity among Christians and Muslims before flying on to Lagos.
[5] In August 1982, Rimi was forced to appeal to the Jama'atul Nasril Islam (JNI) to find a way to end violent clashes between the Izala and Darika Muslim groups.
[6] After General Muhammadu Buhari seized power in a coup on 31 December 1983, he arrested most of the former governors.
On 28 March 1985, a Special Military Tribunal sentenced Rimi to 21 years in jail for corruptly enriching 96 legislators of the State House of Assembly with N500,000.
[7] In October 1998, Rimi became the special advisor on political affairs to the military head of state General Abdulsalam Abubakar during the transition to civilian rule.