President Bola Tinubu has expressed sorrow over the death of Major General Abdullahi Mohammed (retd.), a prominent figure in Nigeria’s security and political spheres who served as Chief of Staff to both Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. He died in Abuja aged 86.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu described Mohammed as a principled, dedicated and patriotic public servant whose work left a lasting imprint on the nation’s governance and intelligence framework.
“General Mohammed was central to the evolution of Nigeria’s modern security architecture,” the President said. “His role in shaping the National Security Organisation, and his leadership in the Presidency, demonstrated loyalty, discipline and unwavering commitment to the Nigerian project.”
Tinubu praised his humility, organisational skill and quiet but firm influence in state management, noting that his tenure as Chief of Staff helped strengthen the operational structure of the State House.
Military strategist and influential state actor
Born in Ilorin in 1939, Mohammed trained at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, and joined the Nigerian Army in 1958. He served as Director of Military Intelligence and was part of the movement that brought General Murtala Mohammed to power in 1975.
He governed the old Benue-Plateau State and later became the first Director-General of the National Security Organisation (NSO), the precursor to the DSS, NIA and Defence Intelligence Agency.
After retiring in 1979, he briefly returned to private life before being appointed National Security Adviser to General Abdulsalami Abubakar in 1998, where he helped manage the transition to civilian rule. In 1999, he became Chief of Staff to President Obasanjo and remained in the role under Yar’Adua until 2008.
Ilorin community honours a ‘pillar of history’
The Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU) described Mohammed’s passing as a “monumental loss,” noting that he was the first Ilorin-born officer to govern a state and the first to attain the rank of Major General.
“He was a strategic figure at critical turning points in Nigeria’s nation-building journey,” the union said in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Nurudeen Ibrahim.
It praised his contributions to community development, including long-term financial support for local initiatives.
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