Former military governor of Katsina State, Col John Yahaya Madaki (rtd) is dead.
He died in the afternoon on Monday at the National Hospital, Abuja after a brief illness. He was 70 years old. He was born 24th June, 1947.
The Late Madaki was born in Gawu Babangida in Gurara local government area of Niger State. He was appointed military governor of Katsina State in December 1989 during the military regime of Gen Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida.
He handed over to an elected civilian, Saidu Barda in January 1992 at the start of the Third Republic. He was nicknamed “Jungle Expert” after attending a course in Malaya on Advanced Jungle Warfare and Combat Survival.
At the time of the 1985 coup in which General Ibrahim Babangida came to power, Major John Madaki was commanding officer of the 123 Guards Battalion at Ikeja, and assisted in the success of the coup. Madaki was promoted to Lt Colonel and became governor of Katsina State in December 1989.
In May 1990 Madaki warned all religious leaders to stay out of politics, and established a religious board to licence and control the activities of all preachers in the state. After handing over to the civilian governor in January 1992, Madaki returned for two more tours of duty as Commander, Brigade of Guards before retiring as a Colonel. After retiring from the army, Madaki became a keen amateur golfer and first captain of the IBB Golf and Country Club.
In April 2006 he was named a member of the Professional Golfers Association of Nigeria (PGAN) Tour Sponsorship Committee. Madaki is an influential member of the Catholic Church. In 2009 he was chairman of the FCT Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board.
He is a holder of the Order of St. Gregory (KSG) awarded by the Pope in 2009. Madaki was appointed chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission in May 2001.
In August 2007 President Umaru Yar’Adua approved his appointment as Special Adviser on Security to the FCT Minister, Dr Aliyu Modibbo Umar. In this role in May 2009 he endorsed a crack-down on traffic violations in the FCT, not exempting VIP convoys.
He is survived by a wife and seven children, among whom is Lt Col Buhari Michael Madaki.