Former Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS), now the Department of State Services (DSS), and pioneer Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Chief Albert Korubo Horsfall, has died.
His death was announced by his son, Donald Horsfall, in a statement issued on Friday.
The family described the deceased as a “beloved patriarch” whose life was marked by decades of service to God, his family, community, Rivers State and Nigeria.
It said Horsfall, an illustrious son of the Niger Delta, lived a fulfilled and impactful life, leaving behind a legacy of public service, statesmanship and commitment to national development.
“Chief A.K. Horsfall was an illustrious son of the Niger Delta, a distinguished public servant, statesman, administrator, and one of the most respected figures in the history of Rivers State and Nigeria at large,” the family said.
Horsfall was also described as one of the great statesmen of Rivers State, whose contributions to the development of the state and the country would remain significant.
Horsfall was a pioneering figure in Nigeria’s intelligence architecture, serving as the first Director-General of the NIA, the country’s external intelligence agency, established in 1986 following the reorganisation of the national security system.
He also headed the SSS, the agency responsible for domestic intelligence and national security, during a period when Nigeria’s security institutions were being consolidated.
His career placed him at the centre of some of the country’s most important security and intelligence developments, while his public service further established his reputation as a prominent Rivers State and Niger Delta leader.