A former Chief of Army Staff during the regime of the late Sani Abacha, Major General Mohammed Chris Alli, is dead.
Alli, who was appointed the 9th COAS in November 1993 and was in office until his retirement from service in August 1994 died after a brief illness in the early hours of Sunday at the Military Hospital, Lagos at age 79.
General Alli was born on December 25, 1944, in Koton Karfe, in present-day Kogi State.
He joined the Nigerian Army on October 20, 1967, as a member of the Emergency Short Service Combatant Course and rose through the ranks to become the Director, Military Intelligence (DMI).
He was also appointed interim administrator of Plateau State during a 2004 crisis in the state following ethno-religious killings in Shendam, Yelwa Local Government.
General Ali was a member of The Guardian Editorial Board before his demise.
In a statement on Sunday, Taoreed Lagbaja, the chief of army staff, condoled with the family members of the late Alli.
His condolences were expressed in a statement by army spokesman Onyema Nwachukwu.
The statement said General Alli served the army with honour and dedication in various capacities, leaving enduring prints on the sands of time.
“Alli’s commitment and zeal to duty manifested evidently as he rose through the ranks to become the Director, Military Intelligence (DMI), amongst several other key appointments in the Nigerian army,” it stated.
