By Suleiman Ibrahim,Lokoja
Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, has expressed deep sorrow over the death of former Governor of the state, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, describing his passing as a profound loss to Kogi State and Nigeria.
Governor Ododo, in a statement issued on Sunday by the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, declared a three-day mourning period in honour of the former governor.
Idris, popularly known as “Ibro,” died in the United Kingdom on Sunday, September 20, 2026, at the age of 77. Reports from multiple Nigerian media outlets confirmed his death.
The Kogi State Government said the governor directed that the Nigerian national flag and the Kogi State flag be flown at half-mast at government offices and other designated public institutions throughout the three-day mourning period.
Ododo also announced that the late former governor would be accorded a state burial, with the Kogi State Government taking responsibility for the burial expenses and making arrangements to give him the honours befitting a former governor of the state.
The governor described Idris as an eminent son of Kogi who devoted a significant part of his life to the service of the people, stressing that his death had created a major vacuum in the political history of the state.
According to the statement, Idris’s administration contributed to the development and institutional growth of Kogi State during his tenure.
Idris served as governor of Kogi State from 2003 to 2012, becoming one of the longest-serving civilian governors in the state’s history. He initially won the governorship election in 2003 and secured a second term following the 2007 electoral process, although the 2007 election was subsequently nullified and a re-run was held in 2008. He eventually remained in office until January 2012, when he handed over to Captain Idris Wada.
Before venturing fully into politics, Idris was a businessman with interests in construction, furniture manufacturing and hospitality. He founded Ibro Trading Company and established business ventures including a furniture factory and Ibro Hotel.
His death has triggered expressions of grief across Kogi State and beyond, with political leaders, government officials, associates and members of the public paying tribute to his contributions to the state and the country.
Following news of his death, Governor Ododo and other government officials were also reported to have visited the late former governor’s residence in Abuja to condole with his family.
The relationship between Ododo and the Idris family had also included previous official interactions. In April 2024, Ododo had commiserated with Ibrahim Idris following the death of his son, Mohammed Ibrahim Idris, a former member of the House of Representatives who represented the Ankpa/Olamaboro/Omala Federal Constituency.
In announcing the mourning period, the Kogi Government urged citizens to remember the late former governor for his years of public service and contributions to the development of the state.
The three-day mourning period is expected to provide an opportunity for the government, political leaders, traditional institutions, civil society and residents of Kogi State to honour the memory of the former governor while the state government makes arrangements for his state burial.
The Kogi State Government’s official announcement confirmed that the state would take full responsibility for the burial arrangements and expenses, in recognition of Idris’s service as a former governor of the state.
The death of Ibrahim Idris marks the passing of one of the prominent political figures associated with Kogi State’s Fourth Republic political history.
