Wike, others mourn pioneer FCT Head of Service, Grace Adayilo, dead at 69

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has expressed deep sadness over the passing of Mrs. Grace Adayilo, the pioneer Head of the FCT Civil Service and the first woman to hold the post.

Tributes have continued to pour in on social media from Nigerians mourning her death.

Adayilo died in the early hours of Monday, September 1, 2025. Her demise was confirmed by her Special Assistant on Media, Anthony Odey, who in a brief message declined to give further details on the cause of death.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, Wike described the development as “tragic and shocking,” praising her for her dedication and work ethic.

“The late FCT Head of Service was very hardworking. I even pleaded with President Tinubu to extend her tenure because of her diligence,” Wike said. “If I had been informed earlier about her passing, I would have postponed this media briefing.”

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Adayilo as the first substantive Head of the FCT Civil Service on October 6, 2024, with immediate effect. Prior to that, she served as Permanent Secretary in the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat.

Her elevation marked a milestone, making her not only the pioneer Head of Service of the FCT but also the first woman to occupy the position.

As of the time of filing this report, neither her family nor the FCT Administration had issued an official statement on the circumstances of her death.

Her death comes barely 24 hours after that of former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase at Cedarcrest Hospital, Abuja.

Arase, Nigeria’s 18th IGP, later served as Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) following his appointment in January 2023 by former President Muhammadu Buhari. He was relieved of the role in June 2024 by President Tinubu.

Born on June 21, 1956, in Owan West, Edo State, Arase earned a degree in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University and joined the Nigeria Police Force in December 1981. He later obtained a Law degree from the University of Benin and a Master’s from the University of Lagos.

In his illustrious career, he held key positions, including Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom, Assistant Inspector-General of Police (Intelligence), and Head of the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau. He also served under the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Namibia before retiring on June 21, 2016, after reaching the mandatory retirement age.