…Idris, who governed Kogi State from 2003 to 2011, died on Sunday in the United Kingdom; Governor Ododo, ex-Governor Bello visit family in Abuja, announce state burial.
By Danjuma Amodu
Former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, is dead.
Idris died on Sunday, September 20, 2026, in the United Kingdom. Details surrounding his death were yet to be disclosed as of press time.
Following news of his passing, Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, former Governor Yahaya Bello and other top government officials visited the Abuja residence of the deceased to commiserate with his family.
The visit was disclosed in a condolence message issued on Sunday by Onogwu Muhammed, former Chief Press Secretary to Bello and Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Relations.
“Kogi State Governor, His Excellency Ahmed Usman Ododo; former Governor Yahaya Bello, CON; Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Abdullahi Bello, and other top government officials arrived at the Abuja residence of the late former Governor Ibrahim Idris, who passed away this afternoon,” Muhammed stated.
Shortly after, the Kogi State Government, in an official condolence letter signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, announced a three-day mourning period in honour of the former governor.
Governor Ododo, in the letter addressed to the Idris family, described the death as a profound loss to Kogi State and Nigeria, noting that the state had been robbed of an eminent son who devoted a significant part of his life to public service.
The governor 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.
He also declared that the late former governor would receive a State Burial, with the state government taking full responsibility for burial expenses and arrangements befitting a former governor.
“His years in public office formed an important chapter in the political and developmental journey of Kogi State,” Governor Ododo said, adding that Idris would be remembered as a public servant who committed himself to the responsibilities entrusted to him by the people.
He noted that Idris’s administration between 2003 and 2011 witnessed significant interventions in infrastructure, education, healthcare and other critical sectors, whose impact remains part of the state’s developmental history.
On behalf of the government and people of Kogi State, Ododo extended condolences to the family, friends and associates of the deceased, praying that Almighty Allah would forgive his shortcomings, grant him Aljannatul Firdaus and give the family fortitude to bear the loss.
Senator Isah Jibrin (Echocho) also mourned the former governor, describing Idris as an accommodating leader whose legacies endure.
He said projects such as the Anyigba Central Mosque, Kogi State Specialist Hospital, Greater Lokoja Water Works, Lokoja township road dualization, housing and staff quarters remain enduring testaments to his administration, alongside numerous youth empowerment and sports initiatives.
Echocho commiserated with the Idris family, the people of Omala LGA, Kogi East Senatorial District and the entire state, praying for the repose of his soul.
Similarly, the State Project Coordinator of ACRESAL, Kogi State, Barr. Ladi Ahmed Jatto, OON, has mourned former Governor Ibrahim Idris, describing him as a pathfinder and builder of human resources whose nine years in office laid the foundation for modern Kogi State.
Jatto said Idris invested in people, built institutions, promoted peace and governed with humility, praying Allah to grant him Aljanat Firdaus and his family the fortitude to bear the loss.
Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, popularly known as Ibro, was one of Kogi State’s most prominent political figures and businessmen before venturing into politics.
Born on April 4, 1949, in Idah in present-day Kogi East, Idris had his early education in the North, including Sokoto, where he was known to have strong educational and business roots in his formative years. His early exposure to commerce in Sokoto shaped his entrepreneurial path.
He later moved to Abuja where he built a formidable business empire, particularly in furniture manufacturing, hospitality and construction. As Managing Director of Ibrocold Nigeria Limited and other firms, he became a well-known Abuja-based businessman with interests spanning real estate and trading.
A member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Idris emerged as Governor of Kogi State in 2003, defeating the incumbent, Prince Abubakar Audu. He was re-elected in 2007. His second term was truncated in 2008 by a Court of Appeal judgment that nullified his election, leading to a rerun which he also won, serving until January 2012.
His administration was noted for the construction of the Kogi State University Teaching Hospital, Anyigba, expansion of road networks, establishment of the Kogi State University permanent site and civil service reforms.
After leaving Lugard House, Idris remained influential in Kogi politics as a PDP leader and elder statesman until his death.
He is survived by wives, children, including the late Hon. Mohammed Ibrahim, former member of the House of Representatives, former governorship aspirant Abubakar Ibrahim, and many grandchildren.
Burial arrangements, according to Islamic rites, will be announced by the family and the state government.
