Breaking: Former Obasanjo, Yar’Adua Chief Of Staff, Gen. Abdullahi Mohammed, Is Dead

Former Chief of Staff to ex-Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Major General Abdullahi Mohammed (retd.), has passed away.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Mohammed, an indigene of Ilorin, Kwara State, reportedly died around 1 a.m. on Wednesday in Abuja at the age of 86.

Family sources confirmed his death to The Punch, describing it as “a great loss to the Ilorin Emirate, the nation, and the Nigerian military community.”

Born in 1939, Mohammed attended the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst in the United Kingdom and was commissioned into the Nigerian Army in 1958. He rose to become Director of Military Intelligence and played a major role in the 1975 coup that overthrew General Yakubu Gowon, leading to General Murtala Mohammed’s ascension.

After the coup, he served as Military Governor of Benue-Plateau State from July 1975 to March 1976, and later as Director-General of the National Security Organisation (NSO)—the precursor to the DSS—under General Obasanjo’s administration from 1976 to 1979.

Following his retirement in 1979, Mohammed ventured into business, becoming Managing Director of Atoto Press Limited in Ilorin.

In 1998, he was recalled to public service as National Security Adviser to General Abdulsalami Abubakar, overseeing the transition to democratic rule in 1999.

He was later appointed Chief of Staff to President Olusegun Obasanjo at the dawn of the Fourth Republic and retained the position under President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua until his resignation in June 2008.

Known for his discipline, discretion, and political influence, Mohammed was widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most respected administrators and behind-the-scenes power brokers.

Ilorin Emirate Mourns

The Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU) described his passing as a “monumental loss to the Ilorin Emirate and Nigeria.”

In a condolence statement signed by the union’s National Publicity Secretary, Nurudeen Ibrahim, on behalf of its National President, Alhaji Abdulmumini Abdullahi, the IEDPU said, “His death is even more painful at a time when Nigeria needs the wisdom of tested patriots to navigate its challenges.”

The union praised Mohammed as a trailblazer — the first son of Ilorin to serve as a state governor and the first to attain the rank of a two-star General in the Nigerian Armed Forces.

“General Mohammed played key roles in Nigeria’s history. He was a patriot who fought to keep the nation united and later served as National Security Adviser and the first, longest-serving Chief of Staff to the President,” the statement noted.

The IEDPU also highlighted his contributions to community development, including sponsoring the printing of its annual calendar for several years.

Condolences were extended to President Bola Tinubu, former leaders Olusegun Obasanjo and Abdulsalami Abubakar, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji (Dr) Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari.

“We pray Almighty Allah to forgive his shortcomings, grant him Aljanat Firdaus, and give his family and loved ones the strength to bear this great loss,” the statement concluded.