By Mustapha Jallow
The ECOMIG Mission in The Gambia has announced on Thursday that one of its personnel, Abubakar Abdullahi, died in Banjul on Wednesday, July 4th after prompt breathing failure.
ECOMIG Commander, Colonel Fulgence Ndour, who signed the statement confirmed that the deceased is a colleague having the rank of Staff Sergeant from the Nigerian contingent.
“The late Abdullahi aged 46, passed on in the early hours of Wednesday, 4th July 2018. He was observed to be experiencing irregular breathing while in his sleep and was rushed to hospital for medical attention. However, he could not survive,” the statement noted.
The mission informs that the body is currently being kept at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in Banjul. He said they are making necessary arrangements to take the body to Nigeria for the necessary rites and burials in accordance with national, traditional and military customs.
“ECOMIG expresses deepest condolence to the next of kin, family, the Nigerian contingent and the Nigerian Armed Forces for this irreplaceable loss,” it concluded.
ECOMIG mission had arrived in the country in 2016 to enforce the will of the voters after the ex-president, Yahya Jammeh rejected the polls. Since then, President Adama Barrow has repeatedly sought for extension of their service in the country. The force includes ECOWAS nationals from Senegal, Nigeria and Ghana.
