Ibrahim Ogohi, Nigeria’s first naval officer to become CDS, is dead

Ibrahim Ogohi, former chief of defence staff, has died. 

According to family sources, Ogohi died on Sunday morning in Abuja.

The deceased will be buried later in the day after a prayer session at the national mosque in the federal capital territory (FCT).

The family will be travelling to give the body a final rest in Okura-Lafia, Ogohi’s hometown, in Dekina LGA of Kogi.

Ogohi was the chief of defence staff between 1999 and 2003.

He was the first naval officer to reach a four-star rank in the Nigerian military and the first chief of defence staff from the navy.

He joined the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA) in 1968 and received training in India, the UK, France, and the US.

Ogohi’s career began in the role of watchkeeping duties on the Nigeria Navy Ship (NNS) Enugu before becoming a gunnery and navigation officer in Ibadan from 1972 to 1973.

He became a laboratory officer of the naval armament depot Kirikiri in 1976 and an executive officer at NNS Akaso, Port Harcourt, from 1977 to 1978;

Ogohi became the commanding officer at NNS Eken in France in 1982 and was named the commanding officer of the NDA’s naval wing from 1986 to 1987.

He was then promoted as the NDA’s director administrator. He was also appointed chief of plans of the naval headquarters and flag officer commanding the western naval command.