Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu (retd.), a former military governor of Imo State in 1975 and governor of Lagos in 1976, has died.
He was reported to have died at 77 on Wednesday morning, January 13 in a hospital.
The former Naval chief was reported to have been ill for a long time but details about the cause of his death is yet unknown.
Kanu’s associate and ally, Mrs Joe Okei-Odumakin, confirmed this to The PUNCH on Wednesday.
She said;
I can confirm that he has passed on. This is very sad news. A statement will be issued soon.
He fought on the Biafran side during the civil war but was reabsorbed into the Nigerian military at the end of the war in 1970.
Kalu, a retired warrior-at-sea, who occupied many command and political offices as part of his military postings, quickly civilianised himself when he retired from service.
He was a member of the pro-democracy group, National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) which fought for the revalidation of the late Moshood Abiola’s annulled June 12, 1993, presidential mandate.
Kalu also became the chairman of NADECO’s Action Committee, which organised and participated in protest marches and public sensitisation activities.
He was among those who signed an ultimatum for General Sani Abacha regime to revalidate Abiola’s mandate and hand over power which brought about one of the most vicious crackdowns by a regime in peacetime Nigeria.
Kanu, who was appointed into the Supreme Military Council headed by the late Head of State, Gen. Murtala Muhammed in 1975, later became a human rights activist after leaving the military.
May his soul rest in peace.
