Abuja, Nigeria ? Authorities in Nigeria named an army colonel Thursday as the country’s top Muslim leader, replacing his brother, who died in a plane crash last weekend.

Local government authorities named 50-year-old Muhammadu Saad Abubakar III as the new sultan of the northern state of Sokoto, said Maigeri Dingyadi, a top official in the Sokoto state government. Abubakar is the younger brother of Muhammadu Maccido, who died in Sunday’s crash in Abuja that killed 96 people.

Maccido was the spiritual leader of tens of millions of Nigerian Muslims and his successor is likely to inherit that influence. The sultan of Sokoto has traditionally held strong sway over the nation’s Muslim population, approving dates for the start and end of Muslim fasts and speaking on issues of religious policy in Nigeria.

Abubakar held various commands in the Nigerian army and in peacekeeping missions during a military career that began 31 years ago. Before his appointment as the 20th sultan, he was Nigeria’s defense attache to Pakistan, with responsibility for Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia.