Mohammed Lawal

Rear Admiral (rtd) Mohammed Alabi Lawal (1946 – 15 November 2006) was a Nigerian naval officer who was military governor of Ogun State between December 1987 and August 1990 during the military administration of General Ibrahim Babangida. He was instrumental to the establishment of Nigerian Navy Secondary Abeokuta. The then Navy Captain Mohammed Lawal, invited the Nigerian Navy to consider a location of the defunct St Leo's Teachers' Training College at Ibara Abeokuta (www.nnssab.net)on a hilly Onikolobo site. This premises had been abandoned and merely serve as a route to the Catholic Compound and was also used for administering a newly conceived secondary school in that name. The Nigerian Navy considered the site and found it suitable. After the return to democracy in 1999 he was elected governor of Kwara State, holding office from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2003.

In the April 1999 elections Mohammed Lawal was elected governor of Kwara State under the umbrella of the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP). He was said to be a protégé of Senator Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki. Saraki later moved to the People's Democratic Party (PDP).

Lawal initiated a N250 million libel action action against a paper The People's Advocate based in Ilorin, published by Abdulkareem Adisa but later withdrew the suit after the two men were reconciled.

In the 2003 elections he ran again for governor but his previous supporter Abubakar Saraki backed his son Bukola Saraki as candidate for governor of Kwara state and his daughter Gbemisola R. Saraki as senator for Kwara State Central, both of whom were elected.

In October 2006 it was reported that Nuhu Ribadu, chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission was investigating Muhammed Lawal for alleged diversion of funds.

Mohammed Lawal died in a London hospital after a brief illness in November 2006.