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Late Rtd Lt-Gen Chikadibia I Obiakor
One of Nigeria’s best known warriors, Lieutenant General Chikadibia I Obiakor (rtd), has passed away. He died at age 75 yesterday, Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
An obituary announcement posted on an elitist WhatsApp platform said: “We regret to announce the sudden passing of Lieutenant General Chikadibia I Obiakor (rtd) at a private hospital in Apo Abuja a while ago. He reportedly suffered a stroke on Sunday and was admitted. May his soul rest in peace. Gen. Obiakor was a great achiever and eminent Igbo son.”
The first Igbo Three-Star General, Chikadibia Isaac Obiakor has been described as a great mind and a brilliant soldier.
A native of Awka, the Anambra State capital, the late Obiakor was born on February 18, 1951 and achieved global fame as a military strategist. He served as Military Adviser, Assistant Secretary General Office of Military Affairs, United Nations Department of Peace Keeping Operations (UNDPKO), UN Headquarters New York, until 2010 and officially retired from the Nigerian Army the following year.
He had earlier, in January 2006, served as the Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).
Isaac Obiakor hails from Awka-South Local Government Area in Anambra State, Nigeria. He was born on 18 February 1951 in Zaria, Kaduna State, into the family of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Echetebu Obiakor. His father was a fireman at the Nigerian Railway Corporation before he joined the Federal Ministry of Works as an Artisan Grade I Engine Driver Water Works until he retired in 1961. He was one of the ten children born into the family.
According to his bio brief on the official website of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the late Lieutenant General Obiakor “had a long and distinguished career with the Nigerian Army, beginning in 1973. He served as the General Officer Commanding, Second Mechanized Division, of the Nigerian Army, as Commander of the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) Artillery Brigade in Liberia in 1996 and 1997, and as ECOMOG Chief Coordinator of the Liberian elections in July 1997. He has also served as Chief of Administration of the Nigerian Army, with responsibility for the welfare, discipline and medical services for all Nigerian military personnel.
“Born on 18 February 1951, Lieutenant General Obiakor is a graduate of the National War College in Abuja. He holds a Master of Science degree in strategic studies from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria, and has participated in numerous international military courses.”
A prominent Awka son who was among the early mourners of the departed General said: “He hailed from my village in Awka and was dearly loved and respected.”
