Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has declared a three-day period of mourning and announced a state burial for former Governor Ibrahim Idris, who died in the United Kingdom on Sunday at the age of 77, describing his passing as a profound loss to the state and to Nigeria.
The declaration was contained in a statement issued in Lokoja by the state Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, shortly after news of the former governor's death reached the state. Ododo directed that the national flag and the Kogi State flag be flown at half-mast across government offices and other designated public institutions throughout the mourning period. The governor also declared that Idris would receive a state burial, with the Kogi State Government taking full responsibility for all burial expenses and making the necessary arrangements to accord him the honour befitting a former governor.
Ododo had earlier visited the residence of the late Ibrahim Idris, where he commiserated with members of the Idris family. In a condolence letter addressed to the family, the governor said the death of the former governor had robbed the state of an eminent son who devoted a significant part of his life to the service of the people. "Beyond the projects and policies associated with his administration, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris would be remembered as a public servant who committed himself to the responsibilities entrusted to him by the people," Ododo said. "His years in public office formed an important chapter in the political and developmental journey of Kogi State." The governor noted that the administration of the late former governor witnessed interventions in infrastructure, education, healthcare and other critical sectors, adding that the impact of his years in office would remain part of the developmental history of Kogi State. He urged the family to draw strength from the enduring memories of the deceased's service and the positive impact he made on the lives of many people, and prayed that Almighty Allah would forgive his shortcomings, grant him Aljannatul Firdaus and give the family and the people of Kogi State the strength to bear the loss.
Born on April 6, 1949, in Idah, Kogi State, Idris began his early education in Onitsha, Anambra State, before moving to Kano, where he completed his primary education. He later attended King's Commercial College in Buguma, Rivers State, and obtained a bachelor's degree in Law from the University of Abuja. Before entering politics, he was a businessman and founded Ibro Trading Company, with interests in construction, furniture manufacturing and hospitality. He established a furniture factory in Sokoto and the Ibro Hotel, described in biographical accounts as the first three-star hotel in the old Sokoto State. He was popularly known as "Ibro" and remained influential in political and business circles after leaving office.
Idris was elected governor of Kogi State in 2003 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, defeating the incumbent governor, Prince Abubakar Audu. He served his first term until 2008, when his 2007 re-election was nullified by the election tribunal because the name and picture of Audu, the candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, was not included on the ballot. The Court of Appeal upheld the decision in February 2008 and ordered a fresh election. Idris subsequently contested the March 2008 re-run election and was returned as governor, completing his tenure and handing over to Captain Idris Wada in January 2012. His tenure was marked by significant political and legal developments, including the court battles surrounding his 2007 election and the subsequent re-run. The late former governor also suffered a major family tragedy in 2024 when his son, Mohammed Ibrahim Idris, a former member of the House of Representatives, died in Abuja shortly after observing the Eid-el-Fitr prayer.
Tributes poured in from across Kogi State's political spectrum. Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, described Idris as a major figure in the political history of Kogi State. In a condolence message, she said the former governor's legacy would endure and extended her condolences to his family and the people of the state. Former Governor Yahaya Bello also visited the deceased's residence in Abuja to condole with the family, according to a post by Onogwu Muhammed, Special Adviser to Governor Ododo on Public Relations and Chief Press Secretary to former Governor Bello. The visit underscored the cross-party respect Idris commanded, despite the turbulent political history of Kogi State during and after his tenure.
The death of Ibrahim Idris marks the end of a political era in Kogi State. He was the first governor to serve two full terms after the state's creation in 1991, and his tenure spanned a period of significant institutional development and political contestation. His administration's interventions in infrastructure, education and healthcare laid a foundation that subsequent administrations built upon, even as the state continued to grapple with the challenges of underdevelopment and political instability. For the people of Idah, his hometown, and for the wider Kogi community, his death represents the loss of a patriarch whose influence extended far beyond the confines of elective office.
As the state begins three days of mourning, with flags at half-mast and burial arrangements underway, the focus will shift to the funeral rites and the legacy that Idris leaves behind. The Kogi State Government has said it will make the necessary arrangements to honour him appropriately. For Governor Ododo, the mourning period is an occasion to reflect on a life dedicated to public service and the growth of Kogi State, and to reaffirm the values that Idris embodied in his years in office. For the Idris family, it is a time of grief and remembrance. For Kogi State, it is the passing of a man whose name will remain written in its political and developmental history.
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