Jibril Bala Yakubu shi ne mai mulki na farko a jihar Zamfara bayan an kirkire ta daga wani bangare na jihar Sakkwato a watan Oktoba na shekarar 1996, yana rike da mukamin har zuwa lokacin da aka koma kan mulkin dimokiradiyya a watan Mayu na 1999 a lokacin mulkin soja na Janar Janar Abacha da Abdulsalami Abubakar. A matsayin sa na gwamnan Zamfara, Yakubu ya kirkiri Masarautu guda biyar a jihar tare da sabbin Kansiloli Goma sha daya. Bayan mika shi ga gwamnan farar hula Ahmed Sani Yerima a watan Mayu shekarar 1999, a matsayin tsohon mai kula da harkokin soja an bukaci ya yi ritaya daga aikin soja. An kama Yakubu kuma an daure shi bisa zargin da aka gabatar a ranar 9 ga watan Disambar shekarar 1999 wanda ya yi zargin cewa ya hada kai da wasu mutane hudu a shekarar 1996 don kashe Alex Ibru, mawallafin jaridar The Guardian. A matsayinsa na Kwamandan Bataliya ta 29, an yi zargin cewa ya ba da makamai ga 'yan kungiyar da suka kawar da sauran masu adawa da Janar Sani Abacha. A watan Disambar shekarar 2003 alkali ya ki amincewa da bukatarsa ta dakatar da shari’ar.