Taraba State Speaker Confirmed Dead

The Speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly, Haruna Tsokwa, is dead. The governor's spokesperson confirmed the death.

Mr. Tsokwa died of an undisclosed ailment this morning at the Federal Medical Centre, Jalingo, the Taraba state capital.

It was learnt that Mr. Tsokwa took ill last Thursday and was rushed to hospital.

Kefas Sule, spokesperson Acting Governor Garba Umar confirmed that Mr. Tsokwa has passed on.

"He died this morning, after just a brief illness," he said.

Mr. Sule, however, declined to provide further details, saying the government would await the outcome of reports from the speakers' doctors before making any further pronouncement on the matter.

There were speculations by some of the late speaker's supporters, that Mr. Tsokwa was poisoned but they could not substantiate the claim.

The late speaker had been a staunch supporter of the Deputy Governor, who is also the acting governor, Umar Garba in the on-going battle for the control of the state.

Mr. Tsokwa attended Federal University of Technology, Yola, and Government Secondary School, Ibbi, for his university and secondary education respectively.