Kure, General who led troops that crushed Maitatsine in Kano, dies at 84

General Yohanna Yerima Kure (rtd), former General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Amour Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu, and the 2 Mechanized Division, Ibadan,  has died at the age of 84.

Kure, who was also Director, Army Special Duties and Plans, died in Kaduna after a protracted illness.

He led the Army to crush Maitatsine fanatical group in Kano 198o and in Yola 1982.

He is survived by his wife, siblings, many children, Grand children and relations.

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General Y.Y. Kure will be buried on the 1st of December, 2023 in his Home Town , Kurmin Musa, Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

A Wake keep and Service of Songs will be held on the 29th of November 2023 at ECWA Church Lemu Road, Tudun Wada Kaduna by 4pm.

Birth

He  was born into the Royal family of Mallam Manchaik Kure and Mallama Tawok Kure on April 2, 1939 in Kurmin Musa, Kachia LGA, Kaduna State.

He attended Missionary Schools in Kwoi and Kagoro for his elementary education before gaining admission into Provincial Secondary School Zaria popularly known as Alhudahuda.

Young Kure enlisted into the Nigerian Army through the prestigious Nigerian Military Training College (now NDA) in 1963 and was commissioned as an officer in 1964.

Career

Late General Kure was a member of the Armed Forces Ruling Council between 1985 and 1987, at the onset of Ibrahim Babangida’s Administration and was a member of the Supreme Military Council of Nigeria from 1983 to 1985 during Buhari’s military government.

Upon his voluntary retirement in 1990, he was appointed Minister of Culture and Social Welfare and Minister of Sports and Youth Development.

Since then, he had an impressive career profile because of his high standards of self control, discipline, regimentation and he in a short period became a household name.

His first foray was in Protsea Australia for further Cadet Development Course in 1964, Command and Staff College Jaji and numerous local and International officer trainings culminating in the Strategic College, NIPPS wich trained the likes of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, IBB, his bosom friend.

On Military appointments, he equally had a robust experience. He was Commanding Officer 5 Infantry Battalion in 1966; Captain and Commanding Officer 22 Infantry in 1967 , in 1968 he was a Major and Commanding Officer Infantry Battalion.

He became a Lieutenant Colonel in 1974 and much later in his career, he was GOC 82 Division Enugu 1983-1985 and then GOC 2 Division Ibadan from 1985 to 1987.

Kure retired as Officer of the Nigerian Army officer in 1990 and upon his retirement from the Military he attended ECWA Theological College in Jos where he Obtained his first degree and Masters in Theology and went into pastoral work.