Former Governor Of Taraba State Passed Away

Emmanuel Bello, Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to the state governor, Darius Ishaku, confirmed the former governor’s death to the News Agency of Nigeria on telephone.

The former Governor of Taraba, Danbaba Suntai, who was involved in a plane crash in October 2012, on Wednesday died in Houston, Florida, in the United States.

‎Mr. Suntai, 56, has since the plane crash been receiving treatment in hospitals across the world.

Mr. Bello said information on when the remains of the former governor would be conveyed back to Nigeria would be released later.

Mr. Suntai was piloting a small plane when he crashed near Yola Airport in Adamawa State.

After a brief stay at the National Hospital, Abuja, the injured governor was flown to a hospital in Germany.

He was later transferred to Johns Hopkins Hospital in the State of Maryland, the United States. After spending a few months there, he was admitted at a rehabilitation centre for trauma patients in Staten Island, New York.

He was flown back to Nigeria on August 25, 2013 after 10 months of medical treatment overseas following claims by his supporters that he was fit to govern.

But after weeks of political crisis in the state based on claims and counterclaims over his health status, it was revealed that the governor was not healthy enough to live in Nigeria without adequate treatment, or to govern a state.

He was subsequently flown abroad again for treatment, with his then deputy and acting governor, Garba Umar, continuing in acting capacity.