The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has announced the passing of one of its founding Board of Trustees members, Chief Albert Korubo Horsfall, OFR, describing his death as a great loss to the Niger Delta region and Nigeria.
Chief Horsfall, a respected aristocrat from Buguma in the Kalabari Kingdom of Rivers State, died on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, at the age of 84.
In a statement signed by PANDEF National Chairman, Ambassador Dr. Godknows Boladei Igali, OON, the organisation said it received the news from the Horsfall family with deep shock and sadness, noting the late elder statesman’s remarkable contributions to national development and regional leadership.
Chief Horsfall was widely recognised as a distinguished security expert who played historic roles in Nigeria’s intelligence community. He served multiple times as Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) and also headed the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).
Beyond his security career, Horsfall contributed significantly to Niger Delta development initiatives. He was the pioneer Chairman of the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC), the precursor to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and served as a Presidential Adviser on Niger Delta Affairs.
The late security icon also ventured into national politics, where he aspired for the presidency of Nigeria under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
PANDEF recalled that Chief Horsfall was among the prominent founding Board of Trustees members of the forum in 2016, where he played important leadership roles in advancing dialogue, unity and development within the Niger Delta.
The organisation also highlighted his traditional significance as the holder of the Omekwe Paramountcy of the Kalabari Kingdom, a historic naval headship associated with the Kalabari people.
Describing him as a titan of national service and regional development, PANDEF said Chief Horsfall’s legacy would remain an enduring inspiration.
“All PANDEF chapters in Nigeria and the Diaspora are directed to suspend official social programmes and display his profile image across all platforms for seven days beginning Friday, September 11, 2026,” the statement added.
PANDEF prayed for the peaceful repose of the late Chief Albert Korubo Horsfall, while extending condolences to his family, the Kalabari Kingdom and the Niger Delta region.
