Alhaji Gidado Idris, (15 March 1935 – 15 December 2017) was a Nigerian civil servant who served as the Secretary to the Government and Head of Service of the federation in Nigeria between the year 1995-1999, during the military regime of General Sani Abacha. Background Gidado Idris was born into a family of the Sokoto aristocracy. His name was originally Usman. Gidado, the name by which he was later known, is a Fulani word which means "the beloved". It is usually a nickname. He derived it from his great grandfather Waziri Gidado dan Laima, the Sokoto Grand Vizier whose dynasty is known as the Gidadawa. Gidado dan Laima was married to Magajiya Halimatu (a daughter of Mallam Musa, the Emir of Zazzau). Another wife was Magajiya Nana Asma'u (a daughter of Sheikh Usman dan Fodio, the first Sultan of Sokoto). Gidado was born and raised in Zaria, where his ancestors had immigrated at the death of their father Gidado dan Laima to rejoin their maternal family of Mallam Musa, who was serving at the time as the ruler of Zazzau. Their dynasty is known as the Mallawa in Zaria, Kaduna State. Since then, the children of Magajiya Halimatu have continued to stay and hold traditional titles in Zaria. Gidado's father was Mallam Idris, the Maáji of Kaciya. Furthermore, his distant cousins - the descendants of Nana Asma'u - have remained the holders of the Sokoto Grand Vizier's title until date. The most notable among them in recent history is Waziri Muhammadu Junaidu. Gidado had his early education in Zaria. He went to Zaria elementary School from 1942–46, and Zaria Middle School from 1952-1957. He later proceeded to the Institute of Administration, Zaria and University of Leeds in the United Kingdom. He joined the civil service before Nigeria's independence and was in that service until 1999. Career He served as Private Secretary to Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sardauna of Sokoto and subsequently served as District Officer (DO) at various times in Benue, Sardauna and Adamawa Provinces of the then Northern Region. He was actually with Sardauna hours before mutinous soldiers assassinated the Premier during the first military coup of January 15, 1966. This career civil servant subsequently served as Permanent Secretary in the defunct North Central State, now Kaduna and Katsina states from 1971-75. He was appointed Secretary to the Constitution Drafting Committee [CDC] under Chief Rotimi Williams in 1975 and in