Shagaya: The Soldier Marches Upward

Former Minister of Internal Affairs, Sen. John Shagaya, on Sunday died in a road accident along Langtang-Pankshin road in Plateau State on his way to the capital city, Jos.

“Shagaya died in a road crash along Pankshin road, when his Toyota land cruiser SUV reportedly crashed on a tree.

The 75 year old retired Brigadier General, was on his way to Jos from his village in Langtang, when the accident occurred at Amper in Kanke Local Government of the State.

On the trip along with him was
his driver and orderly, but the two survived with serious injuries.

Born in Langtang on September 2, 1942, Shagaya, attended Junior Primary School at Nyer and Sudan United Mission (S.U.M) Primary School, Langtang between 1952-1959, later went to the Nigeria Military School (N.M.S) Zaria in 1960. After graduation from the Nigeria Military school, Zaria in 1964, Shagaya was posted to the Nigerian Army Corps before attending the first short service Combatant Commission Course at Nigeria Defence Academy (N.D.A) Kaduna, in 1967.

He was posted to 3 Marine Commando upon commission, where he fought in the Nigeria Civil War from 1967-1970.
Shagaya served as minister of internal affairs under military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida in the military era.

And at the dawn of Democracy, he represented Plateau South in the Senate between 2007 to 2011.

Shagaya became the first Field Commander to chair the Conference of the Joint Chief of Staff of the enlarged ECOMOG having Commanded the 1st Mechanized Division in the Nigerian Army including a Platoon, Company, Battalion and Brigade.

In addition to being an active politician, Shagaya was Director of the defunct Lion Bank (Nig.) Plc between 1998-2003, and is the author of a book: “The Tarok History”, in addition to two other books – “Governance in Nigeria: The IBB ERA, an Insider’s View” and ”The Ministry of Internal Affairs, an Overview”