Komo, Fmr. Military Administrator, Rivers State, Slumps In PH, Dies

By Adesina Soyooye

“It was during Col Komo’s tenure as Military Administrator, Rivers State, that the ‘Ogoni 4′ were gruesomely murdered, and the “Ogoni 9’, including Ken Saro Wiwa, were hanged to death at the Port Harcourt prisons”

A former Military Administrator of Rivers State, Col. Dauda Musa Komo, rtd, is dead.

A native of Zuru, Kebbi State, Komo’s life, ironically, ended in Port Harcourt Rivers State where he held sway as Military Administrator between 1993 and 1994 during the regime of maximum Head of State, Late General Sani Abacha.

Komo, reportedly, slumped in Port Harcourt where he had traveled to on an invitation to  a public function, and died.

He ruled Rivers State during a turbulent period as it was at the time the Ogoni crisis, which stemmed from the Community’s problem with Shell escalated.

It was during his tenure as Military Administrator that four prominent Ogoni sons were gruesomely murdered on 21st May, 1994, at Gokana, Ogoni, while they were at a meeting.

Their grissly murder led to the arrest of the ‘Ogoni 9’, which included Ken Saro Wiwa, an environmentalist, and leader of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, MOSOP, for allegedly, instigating the blood cuddling incident. They were subsequently arraigned before a Special Tribunal, found guilty, and were hanged at the Port Harcourt prisons before their appeal could be heard. Only one of them, Ledum Mitte, a Lawyer was discharged and acquitted.

Komo was a member of NDA 15RC/SS7, and was an illustrious son of Zuru and a gallant Military officer.  He, along with other Military Officers who had held political offices, were  retired in 1999 by President Olusegun Obasanjo at the inception of democracy.

In the run-up to the 2023 Governorship election in Kebbi State, he was in contention under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, but his ambition fizzled out.

In a condolence message to Zuru Emirate and Komo’s family,  a mourning Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah stated that: “Col Komo was not only an outstanding Military Officer, but also a beacon of leadership and service to the Zuru Emirate and Nigeria at large. His Death is a profound loss to us all.”