A former Chief of Staff to ex-Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Major General Abdullahi Mohammed (retd.), has passed away at the age of 86.
Mohammed, who hailed from Ilorin, Kwara State, reportedly died around 1 a.m. on Wednesday in Abuja, according to family sources who confirmed the news to The PUNCH. They described his passing as a huge loss to the Ilorin Emirate, the nation, and the military community.
Born in 1939, the late General attended the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst in the United Kingdom and was commissioned into the Nigerian Army in 1958.
He rose through the ranks to become Director of Military Intelligence and played a significant role in the 1975 coup that ousted General Yakubu Gowon and brought General Murtala Mohammed to power.
Following the change of government, he was appointed Governor of Benue-Plateau State, serving from July 1975 to March 1976. Under General Olusegun Obasanjo’s military regime, he later became Director-General of the National Security Organisation (NSO) — the precursor to today’s Department of State Services (DSS) — a position he held until 1979.
After his retirement from military service that same year, Mohammed ventured into private business as Managing Director of Atoto Press Limited, a renowned printing company based in Ilorin.
In 1998, he returned to public service as National Security Adviser to then Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, a role he held until Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999.
At the dawn of the Fourth Republic, he was appointed Chief of Staff to President Olusegun Obasanjo, a position he retained under President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua until his resignation in June 2008.
Throughout his distinguished career, General Mohammed was widely respected as a disciplined officer, seasoned administrator, and a quiet power broker who shaped Nigeria’s political and security landscape for decades.
Meanwhile, the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU) has described his death as a “monumental loss” to both the Ilorin Emirate and the nation.
In a condolence statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Nurudeen Ibrahim, on behalf of the National President, Alhaji Abdulmumini Abdullahi, the union said the elder statesman’s passing was “especially painful at a time when the nation needs the wisdom of tested patriots to navigate its challenges.”
The IEDPU hailed Mohammed as a pioneer and 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 critical roles in Nigeria’s history. He was a patriot who fought to keep the country united and later served as National Security Adviser and the first and longest-serving Chief of Staff to the President,” the statement read in part.
The union also recalled his long-standing support for its activities, including his sponsorship of the printing of the association’s annual calendar free of charge.
The IEDPU extended condolences to President Bola Tinubu, former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Abdulsalami Abubakar, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji (Dr) Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, over the loss of the distinguished Ilorin-born leader.
It prayed for Allah’s mercy and forgiveness upon the late General and for strength and comfort for his family and loved ones.