Ibrahim Kefas
{{Short description|Nigerian politician and Air Force officer (1948–2021)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Ibrahim Kefas
|image =
|caption =
|office1 = Military Administrator of Cross River State
|term_start1 = 9 December 1993
|term_end1 = 14 September 1994
|predecessor1 = Clement Ebri
|successor1 = Gregory Agboneni
|office2 = Military Administrator of Delta State
|term_start2 = 26 September 1994
|term_end2 = 22 August 1996
|predecessor2 = Bassey Asuquo
|successor2 = John Dungs
|birth_date = 27 January 1948{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MEsuAQAAIAAJ&q=ibrahim+kefas+born|title=Delta State Handbook: 1991-1995|publisher=Target Publicity|year=1995}}
|birth_place = Wukari, British Nigeria
|death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2021|10|1|1948|1|27}}
|death_place = Abuja, Nigeria
|party =
}}
Air Commodore (retired) Ibrahim Kefas (27 January 1948 – 1 October 2021) served as military administrator of Cross River State in Nigeria between December 1993 and September 1994, and then of Delta State until August 1996 during the military regime of General Sani Abacha.{{cite web|url=https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Nigeria_federal_states.htm|title=Nigeria States|publisher=World Statesmen|access-date=22 March 2010}}
Early life and education
{{Unreferenced section|date=September 2024}}
Ibrahim Kefas was born into a Christian family on 27 January 1948, in Wukari, Taraba State. He was the oldest of many children born to Christian missionary Atewunu Angyu Kefas (Manu). His father, Manu, was one of the missionaries to introduce Christianity to the region. Being a very devout Christian, he put Ibrahim Kefas in Bible College by the age of thirteen hoping he would become a preacher. Ibrahim Kefas, being the youngest student in Bible College at time, completed his program before most but had other plans. He was fascinated by planes and wanted to fly them so he joined the Nigerian Defence Academy and became a pilot before he was 20 years old.
Career
As a group captain, Kefas was appointed governor of Delta State on 26 September 1994.{{cite web|url=http://www.deltastate.gov.ng/Delta%20SEEDS.pdf |publisher=Delta State Government|title=Delta State Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy|access-date=22 March 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724144630/http://www.deltastate.gov.ng/Delta%20SEEDS.pdf|archive-date=24 July 2011}}
While governor of Delta State, he sacked professor Frank Mene Adedemiswanye Ukoli, Vice-Chancellor of Delta State University for political reasons, an incident recorded in Ukoli's book A state university is born: throes of birth, ordeals of growth.{{cite web|url=https://www.waado.org/biographies/ukoli_frank/frank_jike.html|title=F.M.A. Ukoli: An Obeisance|last=Jike|first=Victor|date=28 January 2005|access-date=22 March 2010}}{{cite book|title=A state university is born: throes of birth, ordeals of growth|last=Ukoli|first=F. M. A.|publisher=Textflow Limited|year=1996|isbn=978-2783-36-6}}
In March 2002, as Taraba State Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, Kefas and other party politicians were attacked by over 200 youths who invaded a party rally, and narrowly escaped death.{{cite news|url=https://allafrica.com/stories/200203130352.html|work=P.M. News|title=Touts Attack PDP Chairman|last=Adaji|first=Ben|date=13 March 2002|access-date=22 March 2010|via=allAfrica}}
Kefas was nominated as National Democratic Party candidate for governor in the 2007 elections in Taraba State.{{cite web|publisher=Independent National Electoral Commission|url=http://www.inecnigeria.org/uploaddocs/Copy%20of%20GOV_FINAL.pdf|title=Independent National Electoral Commission Nominated Candidates for Governorship Election 2007|access-date=22 March 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071003022028/http://www.inecnigeria.org/uploaddocs/Copy%20of%20GOV_FINAL.pdf|archive-date=3 October 2007}} The winner was the People's Democratic Party candidate, Danbaba Suntai.{{cite news|url=https://allafrica.com/stories/200802210212.html|work=Leadership|title=Danbaba Vs Baido - The Heat Goes On|last=Danbala|first=Yakubu|date=21 February 2008|access-date=16 January 2010|via=allAfrica}}
Death
Kefas died in the early hours of 1 October 2021, in a hospital in Abuja.{{cite news|url=https://dailyreportng.com/breaking-former-delta-state-governor-dies/|title=Former Delta State Governor Dies|work= Daily Report|date=1 October 2021|access-date=1 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211001185427/https://dailyreportng.com/breaking-former-delta-state-governor-dies/|archive-date=1 October 2021|url-status=dead}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{CrossRiverStateGovernors}}
{{DeltaStateGovernors}}
{{Nigeria Abacha Governors}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kefas, Ibrahim}}
Category:Nigerian Air Force officers
Category:People from Taraba State