Former Presidential Chief of Staff, Gen. Abdullahi Mohammed, dies at 86
Story by Okafor Vivian
Major General Abdullahi Mohammed (retd.), former Chief of Staff to ex-Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, has passed away at the age of 86.
Mohammed, a native of Ilorin, Kwara State, reportedly died around 1 a.m. on Wednesday in Abuja. His family confirmed the sad development to The PUNCH, describing his death as a great loss to the Ilorin Emirate, the nation, and the military community.
Born in 1939, the late General attended the prestigious Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst in the United Kingdom, and was commissioned into the Nigerian Army in 1958. He rose steadily through the ranks to become Director of Military Intelligence and played a significant role in the 1975 coup that ousted General Yakubu Gowon, ushering in the administration of General Murtala Mohammed.
Following the change of government, Mohammed served as Military Governor of Benue-Plateau State from July 1975 to March 1976. He later became Director-General of the National Security Organisation (NSO), the precursor to the Department of State Services (DSS), under General Obasanjo’s military government until 1979.
After retiring from active service, Mohammed ventured into private business as Managing Director of Atoto Press Limited, a renowned printing company in Ilorin.
In 1998, he was recalled to national duty as National Security Adviser to then Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, playing a key role in Nigeria’s transition to civilian rule in 1999.
With the return of democracy, General Mohammed was appointed Chief of Staff to President Olusegun Obasanjo, a position he retained under President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua until his resignation in 2008.
Throughout his career, he was widely admired as a disciplined officer, astute administrator, and influential figure in Nigeria’s political and security circles.
Reacting to his death, the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU) described it as a monumental loss to the emirate and the entire nation.
In a condolence message signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Nurudeen Ibrahim, on behalf of the National President, Alhaji Abdulmumini Abdullahi, the union said the loss was particularly painful at a time when the country needs the wisdom and guidance of seasoned patriots.
The statement also lauded the late Mohammed’s trailblazing legacy, noting that he was the first indigene 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.
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