SAN FRANCISCO, August 16, (THEWILL) – The remains of the Borno State deputy governor, Alhaji Zannah Umar Mustapha, who died in his sleep in a Yola hotel, Saturday morning, were buried in Maiduguri, Saturday evening, amid tears ad wailing.
It was shock and disbelief that greeted the announcement of his death earlier in the day and the mood turned pensive when his remains arrived the state capital later in the day for burial according to Islamic rites.
At his funeral and interment, friends and family members as well as political associates of the late Zannah, including the state governor, Kashim Shettima, could not hold back tears, as many wept profusely when the reality of his passage dawned on them.
Zannah was on an official assignment to Yola, the Adamawa State capital, to represent Shettima at the joint convocation of the Modibbo Adama University of Science and Technology (MAUTECH) , Yola .
He was also to see to the welfare of Borno State internally displaced persons (IDPs) who are being camped at the IDPs camps in Yola.
He was found dead in his hotel room along Army Barrack road in Yola Saturday morning after the door was forced opened when the deputy governor did not come out as scheduled.
According to one of his aides, who craved anonymity, “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 severally 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 immediate rushed him to the hospital where he was confirmed dead.”
He was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre in Yola where he was officially confirmed dead after which his body was deposited at the hospital mortuary.
His remains were later taken to the Yola airport where they were brought back to Maiduguri for burial Saturday evening.
The final prayer for the repose of his soul was conducted by the Imam Idaini of Borno, Imam Adam Ibn Elsunusiya who led other prominent individuals, including the Borno state governor, Shettima, the Yobe deputy governor, Engr. Abubakar Aliyu, Adamawa deputy governor, Martin Babale , the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno, and other service chiefs who were in Borno and Yobe state to assess the security situation.
After the prayers, his remains were taken to the Maiduguri cemetery, Gwange where they were finally interred.
