The Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, Adebowale Adefuye, has died in Washington after he suffered a heart attack, the www.icirnigeria.org can authoritatively report.

A driver at Nigerian Embassy in Washington DC said on Friday morning that Adefuye died on Thursday evening after he suffered a heart attack shortly after leaving the office. The ambassador was rushed to a hospital where he was confirmed dead.

The embassy staff said that arrangements were already being made to transport the ambassador’s body back to Nigeria.

Attempts to get Adefuye’s wife to give details of his demise were unsuccessful as calls made to her mobile phone in Washington did not go through.

A friend of the family who does not want to be named expressed shock at the ambassador’s death, saying that he still saw him two days ago.

The source, who said that Adefuye was in good health and spirit when he visited him in his office on Wednesday, revealed that the ambassador was planning to return home before the end of September having been notified by the foreign affairs ministry that his tour of duty comes to an end on August 31.

The ambassador, the source said, indicated that the ministry had given him a three week grace to tidy up his handing over before leaving office.

Adefuye, 68, was appointed Nigerian Ambassador to the US in 2010 by the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

Before then, he had been Nigerian ambassador to Jamaica. He had also worked with the Commonwealth as well as the Economic Community for West Africa, where he was an advisor before his appointment to Washington.