•Late Brig. Gen. Ali Williams Butu (rtd)
Brig. Gen. Ali Williams Butu (rtd), an Associate Professor of Geography and Dean, Faculty of Environmental Sciences at the Nigerian Army University, Biu, Borno State, is dead.
Butu, who hailed from the Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State, died in Abuja after a brief illness, reports Daily Trust.
Aged 58, Butu will be buried at Butu village, Km 5, Takum-Kashimbilla Road in the Takum Local Government Area of Taraba, on Saturday, April 27, 2024.
Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba described Butu’s death as shocking and painful, adding that it was a great loss to the state and the nation.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Digital Communication, Emmanuel Bello, the governor said Butu died at a time when the state and the entire nation needed his wisdom and leadership most.
“His courage, penchant for details, and focused dedication was not lost on anyone who came in contact with him while his commanding height and pleasant personality had such a magnetic pull on people.
“The late Butu’s expertise was well sought out around the country by state governments and the rest of the world on a consultancy basis.
“Despite General Butu’s accomplishments, he lived an exemplary life and was modest throughout his earthly existence. The nation and indeed the world have lost an intellectual, a forthright personality and an icon for the planet conservation causes,” he said.
