Alex Uruemu Ibru

Alex Ibru was a Nigerian billionaire businessman who founded and published The Guardian newspaper, one of the most influential and respected newspapers in Nigeria. He was also a minister of internal affairs from 1993 to 1995 during the military regime of General Sani Abacha. He was born on March 1, 1945 in Agbhara-Otor, Delta State, to a wealthy and prominent family. His father was Chief Michael Ibru, the founder of the Ibru Organization, a conglomerate with interests in diverse sectors. He attended Yaba Methodist Primary School, Ibadan Grammar School, Igbobi College, and Trent Polytechnic in the United Kingdom, where he studied business economics. He started his career as a chairman of Rutam Motors, a company that imported and distributed Volkswagen vehicles in Nigeria. In 1983, he met with some newspapermen and decided to launch The Guardian, with the aim of providing an independent and balanced view of the Nigerian society. The Guardian soon became a success and a leader in the Nigerian media industry, attracting many talented journalists and intellectuals. The newspaper also faced persecution and harassment from the military regimes, especially under General Muhammadu Buhari and General Ibrahim Babangida. Ibru was also a philanthropist who supported various causes and organizations, such as the Civil Liberties Organization, the Anglican Church, and the Trinity Foundation, which he founded to promote democratic and open society principles. He was married to Maiden Alex Ibru, a media executive and newspaper proprietor, who became the chairman, publisher, and chief executive officer of The Guardian after his death. They had five children together. Ibru was shot by unknown gunmen in 1996, an attack that was widely believed to be politically motivated. He survived the assassination attempt, but suffered from complications from the gunshot wound for the rest of his life. He died on November 20, 2011, at the age of 66. He was buried in his hometown of Agbhara-Otor, where he also built an ecumenical centre for the community. He was widely mourned and celebrated as a visionary, a patriot, and a media icon.