JUST IN: Former Akwa Ibom Governor Passes Away in Abuja

A former governor of Akwa Ibom State has been reported dead in Abuja. Details about the cause of death and tributes to follow.

Retired Major General Godwin Abbe, who once served as the military governor of Akwa Ibom State, has passed away.

Abbe, who was Nigeria’s Minister of Defence under the late President Umaru Yar’Adua’s administration, passed away in Abuja on Saturday following a long illness.

Abbe served as the military Governor of Akwa Ibom State from July 31, 1988, to September 5, 1990. He then became the military Governor of Rivers State from August 1990 to January 1992.

The retired Major General from Edo, affiliated with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), also served as Minister of Interior from July 26, 2007, to July 14, 2009, under the administration of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua.

A graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, he was born on January 10, 1949, and would have reached the age of 75 on January 10, 2025.

He obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in International Relations from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife.

He also graduated from the United States Army Infantry School in Fort Benning, Georgia; the Ghana Armed Forces Staff College; and the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies in Kuru.

He was appointed as the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 2 Division in the Nigerian Army, served as Commander of both Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), and led at National War College.

The late Abbe retired as a Major General in 1999.