Duro Onabule was spokesman for most of the Babangida administration
By Emma Ogbuehi
Duro Onabule, Foremost journalist and erstwhile Chief Press Secretary to the former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), is dead.
Onabule died on Tuesday at 83.
The Guardian Newspaper, quoted a close associate to Onabule’s family Eric Teniola, as disclosing the death. It stated; “Chief Duro Dnabule died this evening,” another family source told The Guardian.
The cause of his death is unknown at press time as sources close to him said he was seen hale and hearty few days ago.
Popularly known by friends and associates as Double Chief, because of his position in the Babangida administration and possession of a chieftaincy title in his community, Onabule was the National Editor of National Concord from 1984 to 1985 before becoming Chief Press Secretary to Babangida.
READ ALSO:
Avoid hate speech, Babangida tells Nigerians ahead 81st birthday
He was presidential spokesman for most of the Babangida administration when government punished newspaper and magazine publishers with temporary proscription 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.
Till he died, he remained active in writing and making profound comments on national issues. He was a columnist in The Sun Newspapers.