[3][4] Many other children had died in childbirth and so when Muhammadu was born to Abubakar's senior wife Hauwa, he was given the additional name Maccido (meaning slave) to try and ward off bad luck.
[6] In the late 1950s, Zamfara and other communities in the north began to experience violent disorder with political parties struggling against each other before the 1959 elections.
Maccido, as Sarkin Kudu ('lord of the south'), was dispatched to the communities to serve as the representative for the Sokoto Emirate in trying to reduce the tension.
In Sokoto, a crowd of angry Muslims advanced toward the Catholic Church aiming to destroy the building as part of general anger towards Igbos and Christians.
[7] Although he kept distance from the military governments in the 1970s, he served as the presidential liaison officer between the Sokoto Emirate and the Nigerian head of state for many years during the presidency of Shehu Shagari.
As was traditional in the Sokoto religious structure, the electors of the various emirates undertook the issue and selected Maccido as the new Sultan on 3 November 1988.
Violence immediately erupted in Sokoto and the rest of northern Nigeria with supporters of Maccido actively protesting the interference of the military in emirate matters.
Life grew financially difficult for Maccido and his residence began to become unmaintained and his phone service was even disconnected for lack of payment.
[11] To avoid problems with Dasuki and his supporters, Maccido asked Abacha to ensure that he was treated humanely and that he would be allowed to return from exile after a brief period.
[12] In 2004, he organized the celebrations of the bicentennial jihad of Usman dan Fodio, the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate, and the start of the Fulani War.
However, Maccido also opposed the Nigerian state government when they tried to grant Shi'ite migrants to the area the right to pray in the Sokoto mosques.
On the flight were one of his sons Badamasi Maccido (who was the Senator from Sokoto), his grandson, and other regional government authorities who were in Abuja for an education workshop.