President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed grief over the passing of Major General Abdullahi Mohammed Adangba (rtd.), who served as Chief of Staff to former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
The late General Mohammed, a native of Ilorin, Kwara State, passed away at approximately 1 a.m. on Wednesday in Abuja at the age of 86.
President Tinubu praised the late general as a disciplined, loyal, and patriotic officer with significant contributions to Nigeria’s security and governance.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu highlighted the late officer’s enduring impact on Nigeria’s security framework, particularly through his role in establishing the National Security Organisation, which later evolved into the State Security Services, the National Intelligence Agency, and the Defence Intelligence Agency.
“He also served as governor of the former Benue-Plateau State from 1975 to 1976,” the statement noted.
Major General Abdullahi Mohammed’s career spanned decades and encompassed various high-level positions in government. Commissioned into the Nigerian Army in 1958, he advanced through the ranks to occupy key intelligence and administrative roles.
Following the 1975 military coup that brought Murtala Mohammed to power, he was appointed the governor of Benue-Plateau State. In 1976, he became Director-General of the National Security Organisation, a position he held until 1979.
After his initial retirement from the military, Mohammed returned to public service as National Security Adviser under General Abdulsalami Abubakar in 1998 and later served as Chief of Staff to the Presidency during the administrations of Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua between 1999 and 2008.
President Tinubu praised the late General’s uncommon sense of duty, humility, and integrity, noting that his leadership in the State House left a lasting impact on the functioning of the Presidency.
“He was a man of exemplary character, who combined the precision of a soldier with the prudence of a statesman. His years in the State House were marked by humility, efficiency, and unwavering commitment to the Nigerian project,” the statement said.
Tributes have poured in from across the country, acknowledging Mohammed’s pivotal role in shaping Nigeria’s security and governance institutions.
He made a lot of contributions to intelligence operations, the development of Nigeria’s security agencies, and served in key administrative positions in both military and civilian governments. President Tinubu extended condolences to the late general’s family, the government and people of Kwara State, the Nigerian Armed Forces, and all who mourn his passing
