BREAKING: Former Kogi Governor Ibrahim Idris Dies in UK at 77, Ododo Declares Three-Day Mourning
The former two-term governor, popularly known as Ibro, died on Sunday, with the Kogi Government announcing a state burial and flags at half-mast across public institutions.
Former Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, has died in the United Kingdom at the age of 77.
Idris, popularly known as Ibro, reportedly died on Sunday, September 20, 2026. His death was confirmed by his nephew, Shehu Ahmed, according to AIT, while multiple Nigerian news outlets also reported the development.
The former governor governed Kogi State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from 2003 to 2012, serving for nearly nine years across two periods in office.
He was first elected governor in 2003 after defeating the then-incumbent, Prince Abubakar Audu, and was sworn in on May 29, 2003.
Idris was re-elected in 2007, but the election was subsequently nullified following a legal challenge. The Court of Appeal upheld the decision in February 2008 and ordered a fresh election.
He went on to win the March 2008 re-run election and returned to office, completing his tenure in January 2012. He was succeeded by Captain Idris Wada.
Born in 1949 in Idah, present-day Kogi State, Idris was a businessman before entering politics. He founded Ibro Trading Company, with interests in construction, furniture manufacturing and hospitality. He also established a furniture factory and the Ibro Hotel in Sokoto.
Following the announcement of Idris’s death, Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo visited the late former governor’s residence in Abuja alongside former Governor Yahaya Bello, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Abdullahi Bello and other government officials to condole with the family.
The visit was disclosed by Onogwu Muhammed, Special Adviser on Public Relations to Governor Ododo and Chief Press Secretary to former Governor Bello.
Ododo subsequently declared a three-day mourning period in honour of the former governor.
According to New Telegraph, the governor directed that the national and Kogi State flags be flown at half-mast at government offices and other designated public institutions across the state during the mourning period.
The governor described Idris’s death as a major loss to Kogi State and Nigeria, while acknowledging his contributions to politics and business. Vanguard also reported that Ododo recalled his last meeting with Idris in March 2024 during a political stakeholders’ visit involving people from Omala Local Government Area.
The Kogi Government also announced that Idris would receive a full state burial, with arrangements to be handled by the state government.
Idris’s nearly nine-year tenure made him one of the longest-serving civilian governors in Kogi State’s history.
His administration oversaw projects and programmes across areas including infrastructure, education, healthcare, water supply, housing and markets.
Beyond politics, he remained involved in business and was regarded as a prominent figure in Kogi’s political circles.
His death comes two years after the death of his son, Mohammed Ibrahim Idris, a former member of the House of Representatives representing Ankpa/Olamaboro/Omala Federal Constituency.
Mohammed died in Abuja in April 2024 at the age of 55. At the time, Governor Ododo had described his death as a tragic loss and condoled with the Idris family.
The circumstances surrounding Ibrahim Idris’s death had not been publicly disclosed as of Sunday evening.
While some reports cited sources as saying the former governor had suffered a prolonged illness, there was no detailed official account of the cause of death in the reports available at the time of publication.
Idris’s death marks the passing of one of the prominent political figures associated with Kogi State’s Fourth Republic history.
