Nigeria's Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki has expressed shock and deep sadness over the death of a "great boxing legend" Muhammad Ali.

Saraki, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu made available to DAILY POST on Saturday, said Ali would be remembered as one of the heroes of the movement for black emancipation in the United States, U.S, as he made sacrifices to prove his Black heritage.

Saraki said: "It is with great pain that I received the news of the death of one of the greatest African-American icon of our generation, Muhammad Ali. He may have gone but his many passion and humanitarian services will preserve his memory in my heart for a very long time.

"Ali who at birth was named Cassius Marcellus Clay was not only an enigmatic and colourful boxer, he was also a good and devout Muslim who devoted his life to the worship of Allah. There is no doubt that the fire of black nationalism he contributed immensely to ignite and promote led to the rise of many African-Americans in the context of their country and ultimately to the eventual emergence of President Barack Obama as the first black president of the United States," Saraki said.