Major General Abdullahi Mohammed, Dies at 86

Major General Abdullahi Mohammed (retd.), a former Chief of Staff to ex-Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, 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. Family sources confirmed his death to The PUNCH in Ilorin, describing it as a huge loss to the Ilorin Emirate, the Nigerian nation, and the military community.

Born in 1939, Mohammed attended the prestigious 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 key role in the 1975 coup that overthrew General Yakubu Gowon and brought General Murtala Mohammed to power.

Following the change of government, Mohammed was appointed Military Governor of the then Benue-Plateau State, serving from July 1975 to March 1976.

Under General Olusegun Obasanjo’s military administration, he became Director-General of the National Security Organisation (NSO)—the precursor to the present-day Department of State Services (DSS)—a position he held until 1979.

After his retirement that same year, Mohammed transitioned into private business and became Managing Director of Atoto Press Limited, a well-known printing company based in Ilorin.

In 1998, he was recalled to public service as National Security Adviser to then Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, a role he held until the return to democratic governance in 1999. At the advent 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 illustrious career, General Mohammed was widely regarded as a disciplined officer, an influential administrator, and a silent power broker in Nigeria’s political and security landscape.

Meanwhile, the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU) has described his death as a monumental loss to the Ilorin Emirate and Nigeria at large.

In a condolence message issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Nurudeen Ibrahim, on behalf of the National President, Alhaji Abdulmumini Abdullahi, the IEDPU said the passing of the elder statesman was “even more painful at this critical time when the nation needs the wisdom of tested patriots to navigate its challenges.”

The union praised the late General for his pioneering achievements, noting that he was the first son of Ilorin to serve as a state governor and the first to attain the rank of 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.

It also recalled his longstanding support for the IEDPU, including his sponsorship of the union’s annual calendar, which he funded free of charge for several years.

The IEDPU extended condolences to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Abdulsalami Abubakar, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji (Dr.) Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, over the passing of the distinguished Ilorin-born leader.

The union’s president prayed to Almighty Allah to forgive the deceased’s shortcomings, grant him Aljanat Firdaus, and give his family and loved ones the strength to bear the loss.