By Abubakar Imam
Earlier today, Friday, March 28, 2025, the hardworking Chairman of the Western Zone of Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU), Alhaji Suleiman Oba Ahmed, retired from the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS). He did upon the attainment of the age of 60 and after almost 35 years of unblemished career in the NIS.
This outstanding son of Ilorin was formally and colourfully “pulled-out” of the paramilitary organisation at an impressive ceremony held in Lagos. The event was witnessed by many of his colleagues, relations, friends and other well-wishers from far and near.
Alhaji Ahmed is one of those who worked for the umbrella sociocultural organisation of the good people of Ilorin Emirate throughout their careers. He is one of those who effectively combined the pursuit of career growth with the struggle for the survival, peace and progress of their ancestral communities.
It would, therefore, not be wrong if Alhaji Ahmed is described as Mr IEDPU in view of his several years of unblemished services to the organisation. Alhaji Ahmed joined the Union over three decades ago and served as the Chairman of the Badagry Branch of the Union for an unprecedented twenty years.
My path and his first crossed on December 24, 2019. We were brought together by the pursuit of the corporate objectives of our people, a passion for which we are using the platform of IEDPU to explore.
Since our first meeting, I have been seeing him as a patriotic, generous and sociable compatriot. I make bold to say that Alhaji Ahmed is a fine example of an individual who is always interested in the peace and progress of others.
For instance, his ongoing tenure as the Chairman of the IEDPU Western Zone, which consists of all the branches of the Union operating in Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ogun, Ekiti and Lagos States as well as the Republic of Benin and Ghana, would go down in history as the golden age of the zone. This is in view of his numerous colourful achievements that would continue to place the zone in front burner as far as the map and politics of the Union are concerned. The greatest of these achievements are maintenance of the bond of unity and cohesiveness among members of the zone and the initiation of a proposed Estate in Ilorin.
Prior to joining the IEDPU, Alhaji Ahmed was a prominent member of the then Ilorin Students Union (ISU), which is now known as Ilorin Emirate Students Union (IESU). He was the Secretary of the Union’s Education Committee, which organised a very successful summer school in 1981.
He was also very prominent in the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) during his school days. For instance, between 1977 and 1979, he was the Secretary of the MSSN in Ilorin Grammar School and later Vice Chairman of the Kwara State Area Unit of the Society with Alhaji Uthman Abolarin, the pioneer Marketing Manager of the Kwara State Television Service as Chairman while the current Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is’haq Olanrewaju Oloyede, CON, as Secretary.
Alhaji Ahmed, a birthday mate of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, was born in Ilorin on March 29, 1965. He hails from the popular Baboko Quarters of Ilorin, which has produced several other distinguished Nigerians such as the Chief Imam of Ilorin, Shaykh (Dr) Muhammad Bashiru Saliu, OON and the Talba of Ilorin, who is also a former Ag. National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, CON, among several others.
As he was undergoing the mandatory Quranic education at Ile Omo Quranic School, Baboko, Ilorin, this outstanding community leader was enrolled for his primary education at Baboko Primary School, Ilorin. He was educated at the school between 1969 and 1974.
In September, 1974, Alhaji Ahmed was enrolled in the famous Ilorin Grammar School, Ilorin, from where he earned his West African School Certificate (WASC) in June, 1979. He graduated from the School along with Major-General Abdullahi Otta Uthman, a younger brother of the immediate past National President of IEDPU, Alhaji Aliyu Otta Uthman, fsi, and several others.
He was also trained at the then Kwara State College of Technology (now Kwara State Polytechnic), Ilorin. He obtained his Ordinary National Diploma (OND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) in Urban and Regional Planning from the Polytechnic in July,1982 and July,1986, respectively.
As a determined young man and intellectually thirsty person who would never limit his knowledge, Alhaji Ahmed went back to school. It was the Lagos State University, Ojoo, he enrolled at the end of which he received his Master’s degree in International Relations and Diplomacy in 2010.
Alhaji Ahmed started his exciting working career as a member of the National Youth Service Corps(NYSC). He was a member of the 14 batch of the corps who served the nation creditably between September, 1986 and July, 1987. He offered the service at the Kano State Urban Development Board, Kano.
This retiring officer and gentleman had earlier served as a teacher of Geography in Lajiki Community Secondary School in the Ilorin East Local Government Area. He also served at Aran-Orin Comprehensive High School in the Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State where he taught Social Studies from 1984 to 1985.
Upon his completion of his youth service programme, Alhaji Ahmed was employed as a senior teacher by the then Kwara State School Management Board (now Kwara State Teaching Service Commission). He was subsequently posted to the Jamaatu Nasril Islam Grammar School, Oniyere in Asa Local Government Area of Kwara State. He taught Introductory Technology at the school between 1988 and 1990.
As a young and agile young man, Alhaji Ahmed wanted something different from teaching, his prayer was answered with his enlistment in the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) on December 19, 1990. He joined the paramilitary service as an Inspector of Immigration.
Alhaji Ahmed subsequently served in different states and capacities in the course of which he met and served under the current National President of IEDPU, Alhaji Abdulmumini Ayo Abdulmalik in the Yobe State Command. He also worked under the IEDPU President in Adamawa State.
Apart from Yobe and Adamawa States, Alhaji Ahmed also worked at the headquarters of the Command in Abuja. He also worked at the Sokoto, Jigawa and Lagos State Immigration Commands as well as the Lagos Seaport Command of the NIS.
Among the positions this amiable officer held are Second-in- Command, Adamawa SC Operations, Personal Assistant to LSP CIS Operations and Public Relations Officer, LSP Command.
He was also the Commander, Ringim and Gumel Area Offices of the Jigawa State Command of NIS. He equally served as the Officer-in-charge of investigation at the Jigawa State Command.
He was posted to Lagos in February 2022,where he initially served as the Officer-in-charge, Lagos Command Visa and Residency. He is currently serving as the Second-in-Command Lagos State Command & Deputy Comptroller of Immigration, in-charge of Lagos State Command Investigation and Compliance.
Alhaji Ahmed, who is happily married and blessed with dutiful children, deserves to be commended and congratulated for giving a good account of himself throughout his exciting career. He was able to raise the flag of his family and Ilorin Emirate high everywhere he served.
He, however, needs to also thank Allah for seeing him through. Several of those with whom he joined the service had died. Many sustained permanent injuries. Some were dismissed for one infringement or the other at one point or the other. For Alhaji Ahmed to be retiring with his shoulder raised high and in sound heath calls for gratitude and celebrations.
I, therefore, join his relations, friends and colleagues in wishing this outstanding patriot a happy retirement life. May he enjoys his years after service in sound health and happiness to enable him reap the fruits of his labour far beyond his expectations.
Imam is National Secretary, Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union.
