Colonel Joseph Iorshagher Akaagerger (rtd) is dead.
The former Military Administrator of Katsina State, from August 1998 to May 1999, was 69.
A lawyer and indigene of Benue State, he represented Benue Northeast in the Senate from 2007 to 2011.
Governor Dikko Umaru Radda of Katsina State has confirmed the death.
Radda said he received the news of the passing of Akaagerger, who was born on May 5, 1956, with shock and grief.
The governor said Akaagerger served meritoriously as Military Administrator of Katsina State and he remembered his immense contributions to the state during a critical transition period in Nigeria’s history.
In a statement issued on his behalf by his Chief Press Secretary, Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed, Radda said: “In the brief but impactful period he spent steering the affairs of our state, he built bridges that have withstood the test of time.
“Today, we don’t just mourn a former Military Administrator – we mourn a brother who bound Katsina and Benue with cords of friendship that death cannot sever.
“After his distinguished military career and stewardship in Katsina, he returned to his home state where the people of Benue North East entrusted him with their mandate as Senator in April 2007.
“Colonel Akaagerger’s life exemplified the rare combination of military discipline, legal brilliance and unwavering commitment to democratic values”.
Radda, on behalf of the Government and good people of Katsina State, expressed condolences to Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State, and the Akaagerger family following the passing of an elder statesman.
The governor further stressed that the late Akaagerger might have been the son of Benue by birth, but he became the son of Katsina by service.
“As we bid farewell to this legal luminary, distinguished soldier and true servant of the people, we find comfort in the legacies of unity, selfless service, and unwavering integrity he left behind. May God forgive his shortcomings and may his family find the strength to bear this irreparable loss,” the governor prayed.
