The Saudi Arabian Embassy has announced the death of its ambassador to Nigeria, Adnan bin Mahmoud Bostaji.
The Ambassador was found dead on Tuesday morning in his room.
As at the time of filing this report, the cause of his death is still uncertain.
A source told Daily Trust that his family travelled to Saudi Arabia few days ago and were not with him when the death occurred.
Our reporter also gathered that arrangements are being made for his remains to be flown back to Saudi Arabia by Tuesday night.
The embassy in a statement said “with the deepest sense of sadness and complete submission to the will of Allah, the Royal Embassy announces the passing away of His excellency, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Nigeria, Mr Adnan Mahmoud Bostaji”.
Bostaji holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences from King AbdulAziz University in Jeddah in 1985 and a Higher Diploma in Diplomatic Studies from the Diplomatic Studies Institute in Riyadh in 1988.
He started his career by joining the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he was later appointed the deputy to the Ambassador at the Saudi Embassy in Tehran from 1991 until 1998.
He worked at the administration of the Gulf Cooperation for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from1998 until 2003.
He then worked as the head of Economic Affairs and International Organization at the Saudi Embassy in London from 2003 until 2005 and also joined the office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Makkah as director from 2003 until 2016.
Before his appointment as the Saudi Ambassador to Nigeria, Bostaji served as deputy to the Ambassador at the Saudi Embassy in 2016.
The ambassador had met with the First Lady, Aisha Buhari in January with a view to strengthening humanitarian cooperation with her Future Assured Programme.
The meeting was aimed at meeting the needs of displaced persons in the country.
According to a statement by the embassy at as then, the Ambassador and the First Lady had discussed ways of enhancing cooperation in terms of the humanitarian and relief aid which the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia offers.
The late Ambassador also discussed the aid to the less privileged which the First Lady’s foundation offers through her Future Assured programme.
The First Lady had commended the effort and aid which the Government of the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques, as well the Crown Prince, had offered to Nigeria’s North-East.
She had also affirmed the strength of the friendly and historical ties between both countries adding that humanitarian interventions was in line with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s contributions to assisting refugees and displaced persons globally.
On Dec. 17, 2019, the Saudi Arabian Kingdom announced the provision of more than $17 billion (N6.2 trillion) to fund refugees and displaced persons across the globe.
