PROMINENT business tycoon, elder statesman, and political figure, Alhaji Isyaku Ibrahim, has died at the age of 88.
He passed away in the early hours of Saturday at a private hospital in Abuja.
Born in Mangar, Farin Ruwa Area Administrative Council of Wamba Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, Ibrahim rose to national prominence as a wealthy businessman, sports investor, and influential politician.
Ibrahim was a close associate of late President Shehu Shagari and played a key role in the formation of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), which ruled during the Second Republic.
He was widely regarded as a principled politician who championed the interests of Northern Nigeria and contributed immensely to national politics.
Beyond politics, Ibrahim left an indelible mark in Nigerian sports. In the 1970s, he founded the Mighty Jets Football Club of Jos, one of the most formidable teams of its era.
He was the first Nigerian to hire a foreign coach from Brazil to manage a local football club.
He invested millions of naira to sponsor the Mighty Jets, providing them with a luxury bus and other facilities that made the team a household name in Nigerian football.
Ibrahim was also a trailblazer in business aviation, becoming one of the first two Nigerians to own a private jet, a testament to his status as one of the country’s pioneering business moguls.
Confirming his passing, his nephew, Dr. Musa Ibrahim, a retired permanent secretary, described the late statesman as a towering figure in Nigerian politics and philanthropy.
“With total submission to the will of God, I hereby announce the passing of one of Nigeria’s towering political figures and a philanthropist per excellence, my uncle, Alhaji Isyaku Ibrahim. He died today (Saturday),” Dr. Musa Ibrahim said.
He added that the Janaza (funeral) prayers would be held after the Zuhr prayers at the National Mosque in Abuja.
“For those who know him, Alhaji was highly principled and patriotic, one of the very few Northern politicians that had the Region at heart. May God grant his soul eternal rest,” he stated.
As news of his passing spreads, tributes have begun to pour in from political associates, sports enthusiasts, and community leaders who remember Ibrahim as a man of integrity, vision, and generosity.