# Haliru Akilu

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**Haliru Akilu** (born 2 November 1947) is a Nigerian general who was [Director of National Intelligence](/source/National_Intelligence_Agency_(Nigeria)) and [Director of Military Intelligence](/source/Chief_of_Defence_Intelligence_(Nigeria)) at various times in the 1990s.[1]

## Early life and military career

Akilu was born and educated in [Kano State](/source/Kano_State). Akilu was [commissioned](/source/Commissioned_officer) in 1967 after he had attended the Nigerian Defence Academy. In 1969, he fought during the [Nigerian Civil War](/source/Nigerian_Civil_War) as a company commander and was wounded. He later became, commander of the 146 Infantry Battalion that suppressed the [Maitatsine religious riots](/source/Maitatsine).[2]

He later attended Junior Staff College, [Warminister](/source/Warminster) (1973), [Pakistan Command and Staff College](/source/Pakistan_Command_and_Staff_College) (1979), [King's College London](/source/King's_College_London) (1983), and the [National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies](/source/National_Institute_for_Policy_and_Strategic_Studies) in [Kuru](/source/Kuru,_Nigeria) (1989).

## Military intelligence

Akilu later joined the Directorate of Military Intelligence. As a [lieutenant colonel](/source/Lieutenant_colonel), he took part from the conceptual stages of the [1983 military coup d'état](/source/1983_Nigerian_coup_d'%C3%A9tat) which ousted the [Second Nigerian Republic](/source/Second_Nigerian_Republic) and installed to power Major-General [Muhammadu Buhari](/source/Muhammadu_Buhari).[3] He replaced General [Aliyu Gusau](/source/Aliyu_Mohammed_Gusau) as Director of Military Intelligence; and played a key role in the [1985 military coup d'état](/source/1985_Nigerian_coup_d'%C3%A9tat), which overthrew [Muhammadu Buhari](/source/Muhammadu_Buhari).[4] Following the coup, General Babangida (then [Chief of Army Staff](/source/Chief_of_Army_Staff_(Nigeria))) exploited his closeness to Akilu and other graduates of the NDA's Regular Course 3 (Babangida was an NDA instructor in the early 70s).[5]

Akilu was strategically placed in the DMI as counterweight to Ambassador [Mohammed Lawal Rafindadi](/source/Mohammed_Lawal_Rafindadi), General [Muhammadu Buhari](/source/Muhammadu_Buhari)’s ally in the national security structure.[6][7] Akilu's role in the Directorate of Military Intelligence served as [counter-intelligence](/source/Counterintelligence) to the [National Security Organisation](/source/National_Security_Organization). Akilu played a major coordinating role as (Director of Military Intelligence) in the [1985 military coup d'état](/source/1985_Nigerian_coup_d'%C3%A9tat) that ousted the military head of state General [Muhammadu Buhari](/source/Muhammadu_Buhari) and brought to power General [Ibrahim Babangida](/source/Ibrahim_Babangida)a.[8] Akilu and Babangida have a close relationship in that Akilu's wife and [Maryam Babangida](/source/Maryam_Babangida) are cousins.[9][10]

## Military regime

Akilu was a member of the [Armed Forces Ruling Council](/source/Armed_Forces_Ruling_Council_(Nigeria)) from 1989 to 1993. Akilu worked alongside General [Aliyu Gusau](/source/Aliyu_Mohammed_Gusau) in reorganising the security and intelligence apparatuses, in order to consolidate power for the military regime. [National Security Organisation](/source/National_Security_Organization) was broken into three organisations: [State Security Services](/source/State_Security_Service_(Nigeria)) (SSS), [National Intelligence Agency](/source/National_Intelligence_Agency_(Nigeria)) (NIA); and the [Defence Intelligence Agency](/source/Defence_Intelligence_Agency_(Nigeria)) (DIA) where he served as twice from August 1985 to July 1986 and January 1990 to September 1990.[11]

Akilu was believed to have played a controversial role in the assassination of [Dele Giwa](/source/Dele_Giwa). He was accused of having spoken with Dele Giwa's wife and received his home address. Giwa later received a parcel from two men with the inscription – "From the office of the C-in-C" and was marked "secret and confidential" – opening the parcel, an explosion occurred and Dele Giwa was subsequently killed, investigations were conducted into the assassination but the murder remains unsolved.[12] The case was taken to the [Supreme Court of Nigeria](/source/Supreme_Court_of_Nigeria) in **Colonel Haliru Akilu** vs. **Chief [Gani Fawehinmi](/source/Gani_Fawehinmi)**.[13]

## Later career

After the [1993 military coup d'état](/source/1993_Nigerian_coup_d'%C3%A9tat), Akilu was retired by General [Sani Abacha](/source/Sani_Abacha). In 2003, at the [Oputa Panel](/source/The_Human_Rights_Violation_Investigation_Commission_of_Nigeria) the report concluded: "General Haliru Akilu and Colonel A. K. Togun are accountable for the untimely death of [Dele Giwa](/source/Dele_Giwa) by letter bomb. We recommend that this case be re-opened for further investigation in the public interest."[14]

## References

1. Admin (2016-09-22). ["AKILU, Brig Haliru (rtd.)"](https://blerf.org/index.php/biography/akilu-brigadier-haliru-rtd/). *Biographical Legacy and Research Foundation*. Retrieved 2020-03-29.

1. Adigun, Michael. ["AKILU, Brigadier Haliru (rtd.)"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160911231425/http://www.notablenigerians.com/?p=1162). *Notable Nigerians*. Archived from [the original](http://www.notablenigerians.com/?p=1162) on 11 September 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2015.

1. Siollun, Max. *Siollun, Max. Soldiers of Fortune. Nigerian Politics from Buhari to Babangida 1983-1993*. Cassava Republic Press, 2013. p. 8. ISBN 9789785023824.

1. Akilu, Halilu (30 July 2016). ["My Experience Working with Buhari & IBB"](https://issuu.com/newtelegraphonline/docs/saturday__july_30__2016_binder1). *Saturday Telegraph*. Retrieved 2020-03-29.[dead link]

1. Admin (2016-09-22). ["AKILU, Brig Haliru (rtd.)"](https://blerf.org/index.php/biography/akilu-brigadier-haliru-rtd/). *Biographical Legacy and Research Foundation*. Retrieved 2020-07-02.

1. Omoigui, Nowa. ["Nigeria: The Palace Coup Of August 27, 1985 Part I"](https://web.archive.org/web/20210608090914/http://www.waado.org/nigerdelta/nigeria_facts/militaryrule/omoigui/PalaceCoup-1985.htm). *Urhobo Historical Society*. Archived from [the original](http://www.waado.org/nigerdelta/nigeria_facts/MilitaryRule/Omoigui/PalaceCoup-1985.htm) on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2015.

1. Balogun, M.J. *The Route to Power in Nigeria: A Dynamic Engagement Option for Current and Aspiring Leaders*. Palgrave Macmillan, Sep 29, 2009. p. 185. ISBN 9780230100848.

1. Agbese, Dan. *Ibrahim Babangida: The Military, Power and Politic*. Adonis & Abbey Publishers, 2012. p. 195. ISBN 9781906704964.

1. Agbese, Dan. *Ibrahim Babangida: The Military, Power and Politics*. Adonis & Abbey Publishers, 2012. p. 104. ISBN 9781906704964.

1. ["ONE SCARCELY KNOWN REASON WHY IBB AND AKILU ARE SO CLOSE"](https://beegeagle.wordpress.com/2010/04/06/one-scarcely-known-reason-why-ibb-and-akilu-are-so-close/). *Beegeagle*. Retrieved 2 August 2015.

1. ["Former Chief of Defence Intelligence | Defence Intelligence Agency"](https://web.archive.org/web/20200702203648/http://www.dia.gov.ng/former_cdis). *www.dia.gov.ng*. Archived from [the original](http://www.dia.gov.ng/former_cdis) on 2020-07-02. Retrieved 2020-07-02.

1. Siollun, Max. *Soldiers of Fortune. Nigerian Politics from Buhari to Babangida 1983-1993*. Cassava Republic Press, 2013. pp. 102–103. ISBN 9789785023824.

1. ["LawPavilion Electronic Law Report (LPELR) - COL. HALILU AKILU v. CHIEF GANI FAWEHINMI (NO.2)"](https://web.archive.org/web/20200704101113/http://www.lawpavilionpersonal.com/lawreportsummary.jsp?suite=olabisi@9thfloor&pk=SC.215/88%20-%20SC.216/88&apk=15134). *www.lawpavilionpersonal.com*. Archived from [the original](http://www.lawpavilionpersonal.com/lawreportsummary.jsp?suite=olabisi@9thfloor&pk=SC.215/88%20-%20SC.216/88&apk=15134) on 2020-07-04. Retrieved 2020-07-02.

1. ["Human Rights Violation Investigative Committee Report"](https://dawodu.com/oputa1.pdf). 2003.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Haliru Akilu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haliru_Akilu) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haliru_Akilu?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.