Biography of Colonel Jibril Bala Yakubu

Biography of Colonel Jibril Bala Yakubu

Colonel Jibril Bala Yakubu served as the first Administrator of Zamfara State following its creation from the former Sokoto State in October 1996. He governed the state until the return to democratic rule in May 1999, during the military administrations of Generals Sani Abacha and Abdulsalami Abubakar. During his tenure, Yakubu established five new Emirates and created eleven additional District Councils in the state. In line with policy affecting former military administrators, he retired from the army after handing over power to the elected governor, Ahmed Sani Yerima, in May 1999.

Later that year, on 9 December 1999, Yakubu was arrested and charged with conspiracy to assassinate Alex Ibru, publisher of The Guardian newspaper. As the former Commanding Officer of the 29 Battalion, he was also accused of providing weapons to alleged killer squads linked to the suppression of opponents of General Sani Abacha. His efforts to halt the trial were unsuccessful, with a judge rejecting his application in December 2003.

In April 2009, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) appealed to the Federal Government to release him, referencing the spirit of national reconciliation proposed by the Oputa Panel. After enduring 12 years of imprisonment, trials, and retrials, Yakubu and his co-defendants were acquitted of most charges on 21 December 2010. The other accused persons included former Chief Security Officer Hamza al-Mustapha, former Lagos State Police Commissioner James Danbaba, and former head of the Aso Rock Anti-Riot Police, Rabo Lawal.