The immediate younger brother,of Vice President Namadi, Capt Yusuf Sabo Sambo (rtd) is dead.
Yusuf, a retired pilot died at the age of 60 in a ghastly motor accident on his way to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, on Sunday morning.
Confirming his death, senior special assistant to the Vice President on Media, Alhaji Umar Sani noted in a statement that the deceased “has since been buried at the Apo cemetery, Abuja according to Islamic rites in the presence of former military President Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar and several other dignitaries and sympathizers.
“Until his death the deceased was a qualified pilot who worked with the former Nigerian Airways and the Presidential Air Fleet before retiring to be on his own. Late Capt. Sambo was born in 1956, and died at the age of 58. He is survived by his wife, three daughters and 10 brothers and sisters,” Sani noted in the statement made available to Press
Meanwhile President Goodluck Jonathan who was the first to visit the Aguda House residence of Vice President Sambo to condole with him, expressed shock over the incident.
The President received the news of Smabo’s younger brother’s death on his way back to Abuja from his home state, Bayelsa.
Accompanied by his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan and several other top government functionaries to the VP’s residence, Jonathan who prayed God to give the family the fortitude to bear the loss described the car accident as an “extremely sad event.”
He said the late Capt Sambo was also his own younger brother, adding that such people were needed at a time when he and the Vice President were busy attending to national issues.
The President also condoled the government and people of Kaduna State over the loss.
In his response, Vice President Sambo who also returned from an official trip to Tanzania, thanked the President for the visit, even as he described his late brother as one of the most experienced pilot in the country who was very hard-working.
He said he and his entorage were about to leave Tanzania when he got the sad news.
We also gathered that as soon as the Vice President’s plane landed at the Abuja airport, he proceeded immediately to the National Mosque for the prayers, after which he moved straight to the cemetery for the burial.
Present at the VP’s residence were Kaduna State governor Mukhtar Ramallan Yero; Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar; FCT minister, Bala Mohammed and Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro.
Others included business mogul, Arthur Eze, NSCDC boss, Ade Abolurin, Minister of Defence, Aliyu Gusau, former Minister of Defence, Haliru Bello Mohammed, National Security Adviser ( NSA), Col Sambo Dasuki, Head of Service, Goni Bukar Aji, Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Turaki and many others.