Borno State Deputy Governor, Zannah Umar Mustapha, has died of cardiac arrest in Yola the capital of Adamawa while on an official trip.
According to Leadership, the deputy governor died in his sleep at a Government House guest room in Yola in the early hours of Saturday, August 15, 2015. He was found unresponsive by his aides at 8 am after they noticed that he had not awoken early for prayers as usual.
In the months leading to the 2015 elections, the late deputy governor was known to raise alarm on the strength of the terrorists waging an Islamist insurgency in the North Eastern part of Nigeria. In November, 2014, Mustapha predicted that Boko Haram would take over the entire North East by January 2015 and the North East would cease to exist.
”If the Federal Government does not add extra effort, in the next two to three months, the three North-Eastern states will no longer be in existence,” Mustapha told newsmen.
Mustapha during the 2015 campaigns called for Northerners not to vote for then, President Goodluck Jonathan. In a highly divisive campaign rally, Mustaha said, ”Any northerner who votes for PDP in the next round of election is not supposed to be called a northerner because such a person is a disgrace to the north.” He went on to say no sane Northerner would vote for Jonathan.
Alhaji Mustafa was in Yola representing Borno Government at the convocation ceremony at Moddibo Adama University.
Governor Kashim Shettima has reportedly confirmed the passing of his deputy who has served with him since 2007.
His corpse has been deposited a mortuary, while preparation is being made for his burial.
