A retired Nigerian Army Lieutenant General, Garba Duba, has passed on at the age of 82.
The late Gen Duba was military Governor of Bauchi State from 1978 to 1979 under General Olusegun Obasanjo and military administration of Sokoto State from 1984 to 1985 under General Muhammedu Buhari.
Duba, who hailed from Niger State, died on Friday and his remains were interred at Gudu Cemetery after funeral prayer at the National Mosque in Abuja.
Biography of late Garba Duba.
Garba Duba was born in 1942. He was educated at Kontagora Primary School, Kaduna (1951–1954) and Provincial Secondary School, Bida, Niger State (1956–1962).
He joined the Nigerian Army as a Cadet Officer, entering the Nigerian Military Training College on 10 December 1962. One of his school classmates and army colleagues was Ibrahim Babangida, who married Duba’s cousin Maryam in September 1969. Duba later attended the Indian Military Academy, and was appointed ADC to the Military Governor of the old Northern Region.
Duba was one of the northern officers who participated in the Nigerian counter-coup of 1966 which led to the murder of the head of state, General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, and after which General Yakubu Gowon came to power.
Others involved in the mutiny were Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha, both to later become heads of State. As a captain, he served in the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970), commanding a squadron of armored vehicles.
Later he was appointed Military Administrator of Sokoto State (1984–1985). Other posts included Commanders of 2nd Mechanised Division (1987–88), Commander of 3rd Armoured Division and Commandant, Nigerian Defence Academy (1990–1992).
He retired in 1993, after thirty-one years of active military service. After retirement, he entered business, holding positions that included Chairman of the New Nigerian Development Company, Chairman of SGI Nigeria Limited, Director of First Bank of Nigeria, a non-executive director of Honeywell Flour Mills Plc since August 1998, and chairman of the board of Leadway Pensure, a pension fund administration company.
He died on Friday 17th of May,2024 at Abuja after a protracted illness
