Borno deputy governor dies in sleep

Zanna Mustapha, deputy governor of Borno state, is dead.

He died in his sleep on Saturday in Yola, capital of Adamawa state.

Sources told TheCable that he seemed to be in good health when he went to bed Friday night but did not come out for breakfast around 7.30am on Saturday.

The door of the room where he slept was reportedly forced open around 9am and his lifeless body was discovered.

“He was due to have breakfast with the deputy governor of Adamawa, Martin Babale. They waited for him for a while and called him on the phone, but he did not respond. That was when everybody became worried,” an associate of Mustapha told TheCable.

“Babale had to contact the hotel manager and a decision was taken to force his door open. There they find him slumped and checks showed that he had died.”

A source at the hotel confirmed this to NAN saying: “we had to use spare key to open his door when there was no response from him in the morning”.

Adamu Dodo, public relations officer of Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yola, said his remains had been deposited in the hospital’s mortuary.

Usman Shuwa, secretary to the state government, announced the death in a statement and revealed that he would be buried by 4pm.

“It is with deep sense of utter shock and disbelief but with complete submission to the will of the Almighty Allah that the Borno government hereby announces the passing away of Alhaji Zannah Umar Mustapha, the deputy governor,” the statement read.

“He died in his sleep this morning (Saturday) in Yola, Adamawa, where he was to represent Borno Government at the convocation ceremony of Modibbo Adama University of Science and Technology, Yola.

“He was also scheduled to follow up on his earlier visit to Yola, in connection with the welfare of Borno citizens internally displaced as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency.

“His remains would be brought to Maiduguri for funeral at the Government House, Maiduguri, at 4pm, Saturday, August 15.”