Samaila Isa Funtua, an associate of President Muhammadu Buhari, is dead.
Mohammed, his younger brother, confirmed Funtua’s death to TheCable but did not go into details.
A presidential aide, who did not want to be named, also confirmed the death of Funtua, saying a statement would be issued soon.
In a tweet, Bashir Ahmad, another aide of the president, described Funtua’s death as sudden.
“Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un! Just heard about Mallam Ismaila Isa Funtua’s sudden death. This life! May Allah accept his soul, forgive his shortcomings and grant him Jannah al-Firdaus,” he tweeted.
He was the founding managing director of Democrat Newspaper and former president of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN).
The deceased was life patron of NPAN and chairman of Bulet Construction Company.
His death comes three months after that of Abba Kyari, former chief of staff to the president.
Funtua and Kyari were very close to the president.
Like Buhari, Funtua hailed from Katsina state. One of his sons is married to the president’s daughter.
This story was originally published on TheCable
