I think we now know why he didn't take 'local' transportation:
As Sultan of Sokoto, he is considered the spiritual leader of Nigeria's 70 million Muslims, roughly 50 percent of the nation's population.[1] On November 2, 2006, Sa'adu Abubakar succeeded his brother, Mohammadu Maccido, who died on ADC Airlines Flight 53; the flight crashed shortly after takeoff from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and had been destined for Sokoto.