Abdulrahman Dambazau

Lieutenant general Abdulrahman Dambazau CFR GSS, psc, ndc, fwc(+)
Minister of the Interior
In office November 2015 – May 2019
President	Muhammadu Buhari
Preceded by	Patrick Abba Moro
Succeeded by	Rauf Aregbesola
Chief of Army Staff
In office August 2008 – September 2010
President	Umaru Yar'Adua
Preceded by	Luka Yusuf
Succeeded by	Azubuike Ihejirika
Personal details
Born	(1954-03-14) 14 March 1954 Zaria, Northern Region, British Nigeria (now Zaria, Nigeria)
Alma mater	Barewa College Nigerian Defence Academy Kent State University University of Keele
Military service
Allegiance	Nigeria
Branch/service	Nigerian Army
Years of service	1977–2010
Rank	Lieutenant general

Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau CFR GSS, psc, ndc, fwc(+) (born 14 March 1954) is a retired Nigerian army general and politician who served as Chief of Army Staff between 2008 and 2010 and in President Muhammadu Buhari's Cabinet as Minister of the Interior from 2015 to 2019.

Early life

Family

Dambazau was born into an aristocratic military class family of the Fulani Dambazawa clan. His father served in the Colonial Army, and his brothers held senior posts in the army. He also holds the traditional title of Baraden Kano.

Education

Dambazau's secondary education took place at Barewa College, Zaria, where he graduated in 1974. In 1979, Dambazau attended the US Army Military Police School at Fort McClellan. Dambazau later obtained a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Kent State University in 1982 and a PhD in criminology from the University of Keele in 1989.

Military career

In 1974, he proceeded to the Nigerian Defence Academy as a member of the 17 Regular Combatant Course. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army in June 1977.

Command

Dambazau served as a military police officer, aide-de-camp to the Chief of Army Staff (1979), commanded military police units and served as a special investigator (1984-1985). Dambazau was registrar of the Nigerian Defence Academy from 1993 to 1999. He also served as chief instructor, Support Weapon Wing of the Infantry Centre and School from 1999 to 2001 and later as directing staff at the National War College from 2004 to 2006. From 2007 to 2008, he served as general officer commanding (GOC) 2nd Division, Ibadan.

Chief of Army Staff

He was appointed Chief of Army Staff in 2008 by President Umaru Yar'Adua. Towards the end of the Yar'Adua administration, the army was accused of attempts to covertly seize power due to Yar'Adua's illness. After Yar'Adua's death, Dambazau was retired from service by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Political career

Following his retirement in 2010, Dambazau went into politics, later joining the All Progressives Congress (APC). During the 2015 presidential election, he was the head of the security committee of the APC campaign organisation, he later lost out to be appointed National Security Adviser.

See also

• List of Hausa people