President Bola Tinubu on Saturday met with former Minister of Defence, General Theophilus Danjuma (retd.), at the State House in Abuja. The meeting took place at the Presidential Villa, though the Presidency did not release details about the purpose of the visit.
The brief announcement confirmed that the former military chief visited the President earlier in the day. While the issues discussed were not made public, Danjuma has often been consulted by leaders on national matters due to his long career in the military and public service.
Danjuma, who is 87 years old, served as Chief of Army Staff from 1976 to 1979 under the military administration of General Olusegun Obasanjo.
He later returned to government as Minister of Defence during Obasanjo’s civilian presidency between 1999 and 2003.
Born in Taraba State, Danjuma has played major roles in Nigeria’s political and military history. He was involved in the events of July 1966 that led to the emergence of General Yakubu Gowon as Head of State. Over the years, he has remained an influential voice on national issues, especially security.
Beyond public service, Danjuma is also active in business, particularly in the oil and gas sector through South Atlantic Petroleum.
He is known for his charity work through the TY Danjuma Foundation, which supports health and education projects across the country.
In recent years, he has spoken publicly on security concerns in Nigeria. In 2018, he drew national attention when he called on citizens to protect themselves against attacks, alleging that security agencies were not fully protecting vulnerable communities.
The latest meeting between Tinubu and Danjuma adds to a series of consultations between serving presidents and the retired general, who remains one of the country’s most respected elder statesmen.