The Plateau State government has been thrown into mourning following the death of its Director of Press and Public Affairs, Dr. Emmanuel Samuel Nanle.

Nanle died in the early hours of Wednesday in an Indian Hospital.

While some persons claimed he died of stroke, others said he had been suffering colon cancer and enlargement of the large intestines.

One of his relatives said, “Actually, he has been having health challenges since last year and we heard that it is colon cancer. But he told me he had a growth in the large intestine. A surgery was carried out here in Jos mid last year. But it couldn’t heal, they had to fly him to India in January this year.

“And then, he went, spent about a month there, came back and he has been on medication since. You observed that throughout this year, he hasn’t been doing anything serious. He never travelled with the governor on most official trips.”

When contacted, the Senior Special Assistant to governor Simon Lalong (Media and Publicity), Mark Longyen, confirmed the death but didn’t give details.

He said, “Yes, it is true; DOPPA-Director of Press and Public Affairs (Dr. Emmanuel Samuel Nanle) is dead. He was flown abroad, specifically India, last week. Two weeks ago, the sickness degenerated.

“The sickness wasn’t too clear. The official information is that he died in an Indian Hospital this night. He’s from Pankshin. The thing got worse last week and was flown out.”

Nanle, an indigene of Pankshin, was a former member, National Advisory Committee, Youth Wing Christian Association of Nigeria and ex-National Youth President of TEKAN – a conglomeration of 15 churches in Northern Nigeria under the aegis of Tarayar Ekklisiyoyin Kristi A Nigeria (meaning, Hausa, Fulani and Kanuri Christians)