By Abah Benjamin Eneojoh
Abuja
September 25, 2026
The remains of former Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, CON, have been laid to rest at the Gudu Cemetery in Apo, Abuja, bringing to a solemn close the life and public service journey of one of the state’s notable political figures.
The former governor died on Sunday, September 20, 2026, at the age of 77 in the United Kingdom, after which arrangements were made for the return of his remains to Nigeria for burial according to Islamic rites.
His final journey drew together leaders from different generations of Kogi’s political history, as the sitting Governor and Chief Mourner, His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, joined former governors, family members, political associates, government officials, traditional leaders and sympathisers to bid the former governor farewell.
Among those present were former Kogi Governor Captain Idris Ichalla Wada, former Governor Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello, CON, members of the late governor’s family and other dignitaries who gathered to honour his memory.
The remains of Alhaji Ibrahim Idris arrived at the International Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, from the United Kingdom, where Governor Ododo and other prominent Kogi leaders received them.
The airport reception was marked by solemnity as political leaders who had occupied different positions in the state’s political history stood together to receive the remains of their predecessor.
Governor Ododo was accompanied by former Governor Yahaya Bello, former Governor Idris Wada, his Deputy Comrade Joel Salifu and other government officials, political leaders, family members and sympathisers.
The moment represented a rare gathering of past and present leadership of Kogi State, united by the occasion of mourning and the final farewell to a former Chief Executive of the state.
Following the arrival of the remains, the Janazah prayer was held at the National Mosque, Abuja, in accordance with Islamic tradition.
The prayer was led by the Chief Imam of the National Mosque before the remains were taken to Gudu Cemetery in Apo for final interment.
At the cemetery, mourners observed the solemn burial rites as the remains of the former governor were committed to the earth.
Prayers and moments of reflection characterised the funeral as family members, political associates and public officials paid their final respects to a man whose political career spanned several decades.
The burial climaxed days of mourning and official activities initiated by Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo following the announcement of Alhaji Ibrahim Idris’s death.
Shortly after the former governor’s death, Governor Ododo visited the bereaved family at their Abuja residence, accompanied by former Governor Yahaya Bello and senior government officials, to convey the condolences of the government and people of Kogi State.
There after, Governor Ododo declared a three-day period of mourning in honour of the former Governor and directed that the national flag and the Kogi State flag be flown at half-mast across government offices and other designated public institutions in the State throughout the mourning period.
The Governor described the death as a significant loss to Kogi State and Nigeria and prayed for the repose of the deceased’s soul and strength for the bereaved family.
The Kogi State Government subsequently constituted a high-powered burial committee chaired by Deputy Governor Comrade Joel Salifu Oyibo to coordinate arrangements for a dignified farewell.
The committee was tasked with coordinating several aspects of the burial, including prayer, mobilisation, media, venue and protocol, tomb preparation, finance and security.
The State Government also announced that it would take responsibility for the burial arrangements, with the late former governor accorded a state burial.
The family, in turn, expressed appreciation to Governor Ododo and the Kogi State Government for the support extended to them and pledged cooperation in the burial arrangements.
Alhaji Ibrahim Idris was elected Governor of Kogi State in 2003 and returned to office following the 2008 governorship re-run election after a legal challenge to the 2007 election. He served until January 2012, when he was succeeded by Captain Idris Wada.
During his tenure, his administration was associated with government interventions in areas including infrastructure, education, healthcare and housing, which the Kogi State Government referenced in its tributes following his death.
His political journey also placed him at the centre of Kogi’s political development for many years, with the Peoples Democratic Party in the state mourning him as one of its prominent leaders and organising its own commemorative activities following his death.
The decision by Governor Ododo’s administration to accord the late former governor a state burial placed the state government at the centre of the final rites.
From the Governor’s condolence visit to the family, to the constitution of the burial committee and the reception of the remains in Abuja, the administration maintained its involvement in ensuring that the former Chief Executive received a dignified farewell.
The burial committee, led by Deputy Governor Joel Salifu Oyibo, worked with the family to coordinate the arrangements, while the government publicly affirmed its commitment to honouring the deceased’s service to Kogi State.
One of the striking features of the funeral was the gathering of former and current leaders of Kogi State.
Governor Ododo, former Governor Yahaya Bello and former Governor Idris Wada stood together at a moment when political differences gave way to a shared responsibility to honour a former governor.
Their presence, alongside the family and other stakeholders, reflected the enduring place of former governors in the institutional history of the state.
The gathering also offered a moment of reflection on the continuity of leadership in Kogi from one administration to another and from one political generation to the next.
At Gudu Cemetery, the atmosphere was solemn as mourners watched the final rites performed for the former governor.
With the completion of the burial, the earthly journey of Alhaji Ibrahim Idris came to an end, leaving behind his family, associates, political followers and a state that had been under his leadership for nearly nine years.
From his emergence as governor in 2003, through his return to office in 2008 and his eventual departure from office in January 2012, his years in public life formed a significant chapter in Kogi State’s political history.
Alhaji Ibrahim Idris has now been laid to rest. His chapter in Kogi’s political history has closed, but the memories of his years of public service remain part of the story of the state he once governed.
May Almighty Allah forgive his shortcomings and grant him Aljanat Firdaus.
