Blood, Saliva Found In Mouth Of Dead Deputy Governor - Investigation

Police probe Borno deputy gov's death

The police have started investigations into the sudden death of the
Deputy Governor of Borno State, Mr. Zannah Umar Mustapha, at a Yola
hotel in the early hours of Saturday.

Though no arrest had been made as of the time of filing this report on
Saturday evening, the Public Relations Officer of the Adamawa State
Police Command, DSP Abubakar Othman, told our correspondent on phone
that the Police has not ruled out anything yet.

He said it was still early to close the case, saying, "We have started
investigations of what might be responsible for the sudden death of
the late deputy governor."

The deputy governor was found dead by his aides on Saturday morning
after they forced the door to his room open as he was late to come out
to begin the day's work.

Mustapha, according to some of his aides who spoke on condition of
anonymity, said the deputy governor retired to bed at about 11pm on
Friday and had told his aides to come for Saturday's activities at
7:30am.

One of the aides said, "We became suspicious and worried when the
deputy governor did not come out of the hotel room by 8:30am and we
decided to knock on his door, when he was not answering, some of us
went to peep through the window forcing it open.

"We saw that he was lying on the bed clutching the pillow closely, we
shouted his name but he did not answer. It was at this stage that we
decided to call the hotel staff to open the door.

"When we got inside, we saw him lying face down, and on close
examination, we saw some saliva and blood being discharged from his
mouth and we rushed him to the hospital where he was confirmed dead."

It was gathered that the deputy governor was taken to the Federal
Medical Centre in Yola.

He was later taken to the Yola airport where he was transported to the
Borno state capital to be buried.

The aircraft that brought his corpse touched down at the Maiduguri
International Airport at 4:10pm and he was immediately taken to his
official lodge to be prepared for funeral.

The final prayer for the repose of his body was conducted by the Imam
Idaini of Borno, Imam Adam Ibn Elsunusiya who led other prominent
individuals, including the Borno state governor, Mr. Kashim Shettima,
the Yobe deputy governor, Mr. Abubakar Aliyu, Adamawa deputy governor,
, the National Security Adviser, Maj, General Babagana Monguno and
other service chiefs who were in Borno and Yobe state to assess the
security situation.

Mustapha was later taken to his final resting place, the Maiduguri
cemetery, Gwange where we was interred on Saturday evening.
-PUNCH