Borno elder statesman and former military governor of North Central State, Abba Kyari, has died at age 80.

According to reports, Abba Kyari, a retired brigadier general, died on Sunday in Abuja after a brief illness.

His eldest son, Abubakar Kyari, current senator, has confirmed the death of his father, adding that he would be buried in Maiduguri at about 4pm Monday (today).

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has extended his condolences over the passing of the former Military Governor of the defunct North Central State, retired Brig.-Gen. Abba Kyari.

President Buhari’s condolence message is contained in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Sunday evening.

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The president also condoled with the government and people of Kaduna, Katsina and Borno states over the demise of the elder statesman.

He said:

 “We are extremely saddened by the news of Gen. Abba Kyari’s passing away, an officer and a gentleman for whom we have a lot respect.’’

President Buhari prayed to God to accept his soul, and grant fortitude to the family and friends he left behind to bear the loss

Born in 1938, Abba Kyari attended Borno Middle School and Barewa College, Zaria.

In 1959 he enlisted in the Nigerian Army as an Officer Cadet. He attended the 12th Regular Officers’ Training School, Teshia, Ghana (March 1959 – September 1959) and then the Mons Officer Cadet School, Aldershot, England (October 1959 – March 1960).

He held various appointments in the army, including Platoon Commander and then Transport Offices in the 1 Brigade Transport Company, Second-in-Command and then Commander in the Nigerian Army Artillery, commander of 1 Brigade, Kaduna and Commanding Officer 5th Battalion, Nigerian Army, Kano.

During the outbreak of violence against the Igbo people in Northern and Central Nigeria in 1966, Mr Kyari assisted soldiers from the South escaping from Kaduna.

When Yakubu Gowon became the military head of state, he appointed Mr Kyari (then a Colonel) as Governor of North-Central State in July 1967.

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As governor, he commissioned a master plan for the Kaduna metropolis, but in practice, the plan was not followed by his successors.

Towards the end of the Gowon administration, Mr. Kyari was remembered as a cautious advocate of the return to civilian rule.

Me. Kyari led the Northern delegates to the 1994 National Constitutional Conference and was appointed Chairman of the National Defence Committee of the conference.

At retirement, he was appointed to the boards of directors of First Bank of Nigeria, Standard Alliance Insurance and Merchant Bank of Commerce.

He became Chairman of Gamah Flour Mills and of Alif Engineering and Construction before he finally retired to a quiet, crisis-free life along his Polo road GRA residence in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

He is survived by nine children, among whom is Abubakar Kyari the current Senator representing Borno North Senatorial district.