The former Chief Press Secretary to former Nigeria’s military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), Chief Duro Onabule according to reports died on Tuesday at age 83. A close family source has also confirmed the death.
Popularly called Double Chief, by friends and associates because of his position in the Babangida administration and possession of a chieftaincy title in his community, Onabule also served as the National Editor of National Concord from 1984 to 1985 before becoming Chief Press Secretary to Babangida.
He was a presidential spokesman for most of the Babangida administration when the government punished newspaper and magazine publishers with temporary prescriptions to make them conform to the code of conduct set up by the administration. His scant profile on the web indicated that Onabule was born on September 27, 1939, in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun state.
He graduated from CMS Grammar School and School of Journalism, London. His first media work was as a Reporter for the Daily Express in 1961. Three years later, he joined the staff of Daily Sketch. He spent some time with Daily Sketch before going back to his previous employer, Daily Express.
In 1969, he served as the London correspondent of the Express. In the mid-1970s, he worked for the Daily Times, rising to become a deputy editor of Headlines magazine. When the late MKO Abiola started Concord Press, Onabule was appointed features editor. In 1984, he became the editor of Concord newspaper. Until his death, he remained active in writing and making profound comments on national issues. He was a columnist with the Daily Sun Newspapers.
